Brussels, 28/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - European and Russian negotiators have been unable this week to find a compromise on Moscow's tiered timber export duties. Nonetheless, “Talks continue,” the European Commission said on Friday 28 March. Over the last several weeks, both sides have increased their efforts to find a compromise which would allow a bilateral EU-Russia market access agreement to be reached. This agreement is a necessary (but insufficient, see EUROPE 9630) condition for Russia's accession to the WTO to be given the go-ahead. Time is short since Moscow is due to increase its export duties on timber on 1 April. This latest increase could hurt the Swedish and Finnish paper-making industries (see EUROPE 9602). (E.H.)