Brussels, 12/09/2007 (Agence Europe) - Conclusion of Doha Round talks, finalisation of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and presentation of a proposal for revision of trade defence instruments: - the agenda between now and the end of the year is quite full for the commissioner responsible for EU trade policy, Peter Mandelson, who took stock of each of these three major dossiers on Tuesday before the European Parliament's internal trade committee.
Doha talks. Tuesday's report on this dossier contained little that was different from the trade commissioner's interview with the BBC last week, two days before the summit of APEC leaders (EUROPE 9495). Peter Mandelson recalled the challenge launched by the 151 WTO member countries to: - reach a compromise by the autumn on ways to liberalise agricultural trade and the trade in manufactured goods on the basis of the Falconer/Stephenson draft texts (EUROPE 9471), and to then conclude an overall agreement also covering services, trade facilitation, rules and geographic indications. “The objective of Pascal Lamy (Ed: WTO Director General) and the Chairs is to be in a position to issue a revised paper some time in October”, Mandelson said, stressing that a breakthrough “depends entirely on the negotiating engagement and flexibility of members”. This requires, on one hand, that the United States “clarify and stabilise” its stance on farm subsidies. “I hope the US will now translate President Bush's political commitment expressed at the APEC Economic Leaders meeting into concrete negotiating moves to clinch a deal”, Mandelson stressed. In answer to Georgios Papastamkos (EPP-ED, Greece), he nonetheless expressed pessimism about the possibility of a decisive movement by Washington before the presidential elections in 2008. He said the Trade Promotion Authority (Ed: the negotiating power of the US administration granted by Congress) has now expired. And the Farm Bill (Ed: the law on US farm guidance), which is currently being examined by Congress, does not contain many elements for reform of US farm subsidies and is not a base for positive negotiation, he said. A breakthrough, Mandelson said, requires emergent G20 countries, headed by Brazil and India, to accept “cutting in a reasonable and proportionate way their …tariffs on industrial products”. Finally, the EU “should be ready to go as far as it can within our mandate in both agricultural market access and subsidy reduction”, Mandelson went on to conclude, saying that “the reality of these talks is that the distance to the finishing line, in economic terms, is fairly short now (…). The cost of remaining concessions that both developed and some, more competitive developing countries need to bring into the final package is small compared to the systemic gain of doing the deal”. He stressed that “the clock is ticking”.
Economic Partnership Agreements. The trade commissioner called on the governments of ACP countries to pull out all the stops in order to finalise the EPAs by the end of the year. He welcomed the progress made with the Caribbean region (over two thirds of the text of the agreement are said to be finalised at this stage). Mandelson nonetheless expressed concern about the slow progress made with certain regions of Africa, especially in the East and West, and slammed the sometimes negative attitude shown by South Africa in discussions with southern Africa. Underlining the difficulties encountered by some regions when it comes to meeting WTO requirements in terms of reciprocity, he did not conceal he was impatient to obtain concessions on market access for industrial products and services, in response to the offer of Community market access without duties or quotas for ACP exports. '”I have no hat and no rabbit to pull out of it. If we have no new trade regime in place by the end of this year, the Commission has no legal option but to offer the region concerned [less generous] GSP preferences”, Mandelson said. In his view, this is a system that is “not an option” as it is only a “poor second best”. He went on to explain that, for the ACP countries which are not Least-Developed Countries and do not benefit from the Everything But Arms initiative, the GSP will only provide some guarantees as the system implies a number of conditions must be fulfilled - social and environmental norms, as well as human rights - which cannot be reviewed downward to face up to the constraints of the moment. He went on to conclude that the deadline of 1 January 2008 for offering the region GSP preferences is “not a bluff or some negotiating tactic invented in Brussels”. By that date, the current preferential regime will become illegal with regard to the WTO.
Revision of trade defence instruments. The trade commissioner confirmed that, by the end of November/early December, he will put to Council his proposal for review of the trade defence instruments (antidumping and anti-subsidy measures). Mandelson said their initiative does not aim to weaken these instruments but to make them more effective against a new economic context in constant change. It also aims to give member states back their confidence in its instruments and thus strengthen their solidarity. He was somewhat rebuked on this dossier by Erika Mann (PES, Germany) and Caroline Lucas (Greens/EFA, UK). By way of conclusion, Mandelson said he wanted to give them back more balance, more transparency and more effectiveness, and include them more in the energy/climate policy framework. (eh)