Brussels, 08/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - According to diplomatic sources cited by Reuters, a majority of member states were to give their endorsement during a meeting of the 133 Committee on Friday 8 May, to the signing of a bilateral free trade agreement (EFA) between the EU and South Korea during the bilateral summit on 23 May in Seoul - despite persistent reticence from large member states such as Germany, Italy and France - and to greater liberalisation of bilateral trade, especially in the automobile sector. “There will be tough talks on Friday, but overall I think there will be a political green light given to allow the European Commission to try to initiate a deal at an EU-Korea summit on May 23”, the above source said. A meeting between Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton and her South Korean counterpart, Kim Jong-hoon, should be organised to bring the situation out of deadlock before the Seoul summit. It is nevertheless a fact that the debate will go further than the Council framework. According to an internal Commission document, two meetings of the heads of cabinets of the commissioners, at the end of April and early May, showed that the sensitive issues still to be settled between Europeans and South Koreans - duty drawback and rules of origin - cause concern at the College. Laszlo Kovacs (taxation) is particularly concerned, calling for a more political debate at the Commission. In a letter sent to President Barroso on 7 May, 14 European professional organisations in the culture and audiovisual sector, meeting under the banner of “coalitions for cultural diversity”, call for discussions on the protocol relating to cultural cooperation to be disconnected from talks for the free trade agreement, pursuant to the UNESCO convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, which favours autonomous discussions in these fields. “It is essential to safeguard the autonomy of the cultural and audiovisual discussions so as to protect them from the pressure of other economic sectors whose interest might be to conclude an agreement rapidly. (…) The Protocol should at least not contain any measure whose impact has not been assessed, particularly when such measures constitute a preferential treatment to a country with well-developed cultural and audiovisual industries”, the coalition stresses. (E.H./transl.jl)