Strasbourg, 19/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - In an interview with the Swiss French-speaking radio on 17 June, Pascal Lamy criticised the new US Farm Bill which provides for US$290 billion to be given to US farmers over the next ten years. “Americans have just voted back large farm subsidy packages, which is the best proof, if ever one was needed, that the only way to make Americans change farm policy and their excessive subsidies is an agreement at the WTO” (Ed.: as part of Doha Round talks), stressed the WTO director general. Mr Lamy took the view that the arguments allowing Americans to reduce their subsidies, which will pose them political problems, are the new external market opportunities in other sectors, such as industrial products and services. The US Congress adopted a new farm guidance law mid-May, which is highly criticised by the partners of the US at the WTO, such as the G-20 emerging countries and the farm exporting countries of the Cairns Group, which consider that the new Farm Bill runs counter to a long-term agricultural reform process, to which the US administration is opposed. (E.H./transl.jl)