Brussels, 09/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - In a common resolution adopted by the EPP-ED, PES, ADLE and UEN groups by 567 votes in favour, 37 against, with 47 abstentions on Thursday 9 October in a plenary session, the European Parliament expressed its “deep concern” at the blockage in Doha negotiations resulting from the failure of last July's ministerial meeting in Geneva last July (EUROPE 9714). The EP highlighted its “total support” for the multilateral approach in trade policy, in the WTO's role and in an “ambitious and balanced” Doha agreement in respect of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). It also said that in the current context of economic and financial crisis, the conclusion of the round, “could be a stabilising factor”. It underlined the importance of the WTO moving forward, in coherence with other international organisations, to respond to new global challenges where trade plays a role, such as food safety, energy security and climate change. Welcoming the progress accomplished up to now in negotiations which it believes could, “provide an important and consolidated basis” at the next ministerial for concluding an agreement on modalities, the EP calls on the EU, UN and other main G20 players (Brazil, China and India: Ed) to, “assume their responsibilities in the current negotiations… to make every effort to reach a deal as rapidly as possible”. Such an agreement would, it believes, come from a “political solution” between the US and India on the questions of conditions on application of the special safeguard mechanism, “to ensure a fair balance between trade and food security concerns”. The EP also underscores the importance of an agreement between rich and emerging countries on the “development package” negotiated in 2005 in Hong Kong: 100% duty-free, quota-free market access for LDCs, as the EU had done with the Everything but Arms initiative. Finally, the EU urges the question of WTO reform to be settled, once the Doha Round is finished, in order to make the organisation more efficient and transparent and improve its democratic legitimacy, which involves more accountability from MEPs. (E.H./trans/rh)