Brussels, 09/11/2006 (Agence Europe) - Following the mid-term elections in the United States, the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, said on Wednesday: 'It is very important that now that the elections are finished we can have a renewed commitment from the American side to revive the Doha talks,' and pledged that the EU would work 'closely' with the United States. Getting the global free trade talks going again will partly depend on the US improving its domestic farm aid offer, but the electoral gains of the Democrats in the US, some of whom came out against free trade during the election campaign, is not seen as a good sign for the future of global trade talks in many analysts' opinion The countdown has started because the special US negotiating mandate (the 'Trade Promotion Authority, TPA) granted by the US Congress to the Bush Administration runs out on 1 July 2007. Under the TPA, the Bush administration can negotiate trade agreements and submit them for Congress' approval without Congress being authorised to amend them. The new negotiating mandate will be decided by the Congress but the Congress now has a Democrat majority. In October, US Trade Representative Susan Schwab said a critical mass of support from free trade would exist among both Republicans and Democrats, no matter what the outcome of the election was. The Democrats are not expected to challenge the work carried out by the Bush Administration on trade issues thus far, but analysts suggest they may apply pressure to ensure greater environmental and labour rights protection in future draft trade agreements prepared by the Bush Administration. Reacting to news about the election results on Wednesday, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said he had been in contact with Democrat leaders during his recent visit to the United States and believed there was now 'a brief window of opportunity to revive WTO trade talks' and said he would be working constructively with Susan Schwab and Congress to achieve this. (eh)