Brussels, 30/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - With the approach of the fateful date of 30 June, when the mandate for the American negotiator, the Trade Promotion Authority, expires, and negotiators still seeing no new American proposals on internal support, doubt is prevailing with all of the stakeholders to the Doha negotiations. The words of the director general of the WTO himself are becoming increasingly sceptical. On 23 March in Mexico, Pascal Lamy stated that the consultations, both multilaterally at Geneva and bilaterally, had “not produced sufficient results for a breakthrough”. On the subject of agricultural subsidies, “what is already on the table is fairly impressive, yet not enough to lead us to our final success”, he noted, stressing that on this section, “the ball is largely in the court of the United States”. Mr Lamy also pointed out that the Union, the G-10, the G-33 and India must, for their part, “go beyond their current positions” on access to the agricultural market. However, given the increasing likelihood that the American Congress will not renew the Bush administration's negotiation mandate before it expires, the WTO Director-General pledged that “talks will continue”.
In view of the lack of decisive movement on the part of the Americans, things are no less alarmist on the European side. In Taormina on 23 March, Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fisher Boel pointed out that “it is essential for the United States to agree to greater discipline on their internal support”, going on to complain about the lack of movement on their part since October 2005. “Up to now, the silence (of the Americans on domestic subsidies and of the G20 on industrial tariffs: Ed) has been deafening”, she said, speaking in London on 27 March. After a further meeting of the agricultural negotiations committee of the WTO, which was held in Geneva on 23 March, its president, Crawford Falconer of New Zealand, voiced his concerns about the weariness of the negotiators. “Apart from a few people calling for Harry Potter's help, I have not heard any new ideas,” he told press, adding, “the risk is that energy is running out. We are not yet there, but I detect a sort of sceptical resignation in many regards”. Mr Falconer is to present an initial revised reference document in mid-April, taking stock of agricultural negotiations. The major players of the round (G4 and G6) will meet in New Delhi on 11 April. (eh)