Brussels, 09/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - Following an informal meeting with the negotiators from around 30 member countries which confirmed that there continued to be differences on a number of key issues, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy decided, on Monday 8 December, to delay the possible ministerial meeting to try to tie up a multilateral compromise on details for liberalising world trade for a week, until 17-19 December. Despite coming closer together on several points in the new compromise texts on agriculture and industrial goods (NAMA) that were published last weekend and were supposed to form the basis for ministerial discussions, positions remain too far apart on three crucial matters: sectoral agreements in the NAMA chapter, the special safeguard mechanism, and cotton in agriculture. According to Lamy, these three issues need to be put to a “political test” which will allow him to decide whether or not to bring trade ministers to Geneva. The WTO chief, then, will consult ministers directly over the next few days to determine how flexible they are prepared to be. A number of sources agree that responsibility for the deadlock in negotiations lies with China, the United States and India. The European Commission, which is negotiating on behalf of the EU, continues to call for an agreement. On Monday, Commissioner Catherine Ashton gave her backing to the revised compromise texts. Chairing a meeting of EU trade ministers, French minister Anne-Marie Idrac was cautious, speaking of “great uncertainty on how balance will be achieved between the parties, with a question mark especially over the position of the United States”. “It remains very much to be seen whether or not an agreement may be possible” before Christmas, she added. In the Council, delegations highlighted four points: - the Commission must not give any ground on the EU's red lines in agriculture; - on geographical indications, there have to be precise results, with dates for each stage, in December; - there has to be additional market access on NAMA; - there has to be definite progress and dates on services. Idrac gave assurances that the French Presidency would continue to emphasise the EU's desire for a balanced and ambitious agreement. (E.H./transl.rt)