Brussels, 15/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - One year on from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial in Hong Kong, there has been no progress on agreeing trade reforms to promote development. Celine Charveriat, Head of Oxfam International's Make Trade Fair Campaign, denounces the lack of progress, which is mainly to the detriment of the poor countries. She notes that, instead of confirming their attachment for the multilateral process, the European Union and the United States have “shifted focus to an aggressive regional and bilateral agenda”, increasing pressure on developing countries to open their markets “while zealously guarding their agricultural subsidy budgets and tariff protections”.
According to Oxfam, negotiations should restart again in earnest but only if members agree to re-focus on the original mandate, which was to prioritise reforms that promote development, respecting the legitimate concerns of developing countries which “should not be rushed into a bad deal to meet artificial deadlines, such as the expiry of the US Trade Promotion Authority”. Ms Charveriat cites as an example the efforts made by the United States to gain access to the Indian market for other products (rice, corn, wheat and soybeans) which are heavily subsidised in the US, and important for poor framers in India. She takes the view that the United States should be willing to renegotiate the Farm Bill, which is to be revised by Congress in 2007, and which represents a major obstacle for trade talks. Europe, however, must also do its duty by improving its offer concerning market access, mainly for products of interest to developing countries. “If Brazil can offer duty free access to the poorest countries, as it confirmed it would last week, then why can't the US and Japan?”, Oxfam asks. (lg)