Brussels, 18/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - The timetable for reaching the broad lines for a compromise at the WTO on arrangements for trade liberalisation in agriculture and NAMA (non-agricultural market access) is taking shape: - new revised draft modality papers are expected for end April before discussions in Geneva from 5 May on at the level of senior officials on the main chapters of the Doha talks, and then a ministerial meeting in Geneva during the week of 19 May.
Speaking at the trade negotiations committee on Thursday 17 April, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy announced the beginning of the horizontal process, which aims to “take our work to a higher level and to begin drawing together the threads both within and across the two modalities issues (agriculture and industrial tariffs)”. “The horizontal process will start at senior official level, in order to prepare properly for the ministerial involvement which is likely to be needed at a later stage”, he explained. Mr Lamy also said he would make sure that the composition of the meetings, in small committees at senior official level (green rooms) scheduled for early May, would be representative of all the interests of member states, and also that the senior officials would have sufficient time in which to clear the way for the ministers. The first “trade-offs” between member countries or negotiation groups will be operated on the basis of the new revised texts from the presidents of the trade negotiation and NAMA committees, Crawford Falconer and Don Stepherson respectively, expected for end April. Finally, Mr Lamy suggested holding a two-day conference on the fringe of a possible ministerial meeting during the week of 19 May devoted especially to the services chapter in order to close the gap between the offers and requests for the sector to be opened made by member countries taking part in the negotiation. The WTO director general would then establish a compromise report on the services that would accompany a possible compromise on agriculture and manufactured goods.
The meeting of the trade negotiations committee on 15 April provided an opportunity for several delegations to point out that the timetable for an agreement must not take primacy over the content. Argentina and India considered it would be unreasonable to launch the horizontal process when many questions are still outstanding. Australia and the EU had different interpretations on the compromise concerning sensitive products which they reached, early April, with Brazil, Canada, the United States and India (G-6). Argentina, New Zealand and Uruguay felt that the dossier should be clarified before any agreement on modalities was possible. On 16 April, Mr Stephenson, for his part, assured that the member countries were beginning to be ready for “real talks” on NAMA after months of “positioning”.
Speaking at the Agriculture Council on 14 April in Luxembourg, Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel was quite pleased with the turn discussions had taken in her sector. In her view, the agricultural chapter is moving forward thanks to an arrangement on the regime governing sensitive products, which remains, however, to be confirmed. This compromise in no way prejudges the designation of sensitive products strictly speaking, the list of which will be established only once the broad lines of an agreement and the modalities have been finalised, she said. Farm products designated as “sensitive” will be subject to a less substantial reduction in customs duties than the others, through the establishment of an import tariff quota calculated proportionately to internal consumption (up to 4% at most, the Commission states). In principle, it is this method of calculation that has been the subject of a very technical compromise at the G-6, the idea being to be able to apply, in some cases, the quota to a precise category of products within the sensitive sector. Ms Fischer Boel also stressed that many difficulties have still to be overcome to finalise global modalities in agriculture, involving ministers of member nations, especially for tropical products (bananas in particular), and to put a halt to the erosion of tariff preferences enjoyed by developing countries. Finally, recalling that the stated ambition in farm talks must find its equivalent in the other fields - NAMA, services, geographical indications and rules - Ms Fischer Boel said that, if the Round is concluded this year on a sound basis, it will be possible to carefully prepare for CAP reform of 2013. If such is not the case, reform should be conducted at the same time as talks in Geneva which, in the event of failure, she says, would not be reactivated until 2010-2011. (E.H.)