Developed nations’ trade position attacked

GENEVA – Leading developing countries on Monday launched a strong attack on rich states in free-trade talks, saying their demands were out of all proportion to the liberalisation they themselves were ready to offer.

The countries – Namibia, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa and Venezuela – accused the European Union, in particular, of giving little away in agriculture while demanding big sacrifices from poorer states in industrial goods and services. “Developing countries are being called upon to bear the burden of any new market opening,” they said in reference to struggling World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks.”The European Union and other developed countries are thus seeking a round for free,” they added in a statement.As negotiators prepare for a crucial ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in two weeks, the eight said the EU and other richer WTO members had to grasp that reform to farm trade to give a better deal for developing countries was the key to progress.”The removal of anti-development distortions in international agricultural trade is central,” they said.The 148-state WTO has abandoned plans for the Hong Kong conference to cap four years of hard bargaining with an accord on a detailed blueprint for a new free trade treaty.Divisions, notably over agriculture, are too deep, and WTO states have set themselves the lesser, but still difficult goal of getting enough agreement next month to ensure that a draft pact can be wrapped up early in 2006.With all the political bargains struck, months of work on the detail will still be needed and time is running out to meet the end-2006/early 2007 final deadline for a treaty that supporters say would boost the world economy and ease poverty.WTO chief Pascal Lamy urged states to focus over the next days on agriculture, industrial goods and special treatment for developing countries – three areas where accord is distant.The WTO’s executive General Council is due on Friday to accept or reject Lamy’s draft text for the ministerial conference.Lamy has told member states that progress was needed so that ministers had a document they could negotiate over rather than a litany of differences.Brussels, under pressure from EU agricultural powers such as France to make no further concessions, says it can offer nothing more before Hong Kong.Even then, it says it will need a major move by developing nations in industrial goods and other areas.”We have to ensure that the Hong Kong outcome is balanced,” EU ambassador to the WTO Carlo Trojan told member states.But one thing on which the EU and its developing country critics agree is that Hong Kong should deliver tangible benefits for the poorest WTO members, including an “aid-for-trade” package and duty free access for their goods.- Nampa-Reuters”Developing countries are being called upon to bear the burden of any new market opening,” they said in reference to struggling World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks.”The European Union and other developed countries are thus seeking a round for free,” they added in a statement.As negotiators prepare for a crucial ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in two weeks, the eight said the EU and other richer WTO members had to grasp that reform to farm trade to give a better deal for developing countries was the key to progress.”The removal of anti-development distortions in international agricultural trade is central,” they said.The 148-state WTO has abandoned plans for the Hong Kong conference to cap four years of hard bargaining with an accord on a detailed blueprint for a new free trade treaty.Divisions, notably over agriculture, are too deep, and WTO states have set themselves the lesser, but still difficult goal of getting enough agreement next month to ensure that a draft pact can be wrapped up early in 2006.With all the political bargains struck, months of work on the detail will still be needed and time is running out to meet the end-2006/early 2007 final deadline for a treaty that supporters say would boost the world economy and ease poverty.WTO chief Pascal Lamy urged states to focus over the next days on agriculture, industrial goods and special treatment for developing countries – three areas where accord is distant.The WTO’s executive General Council is due on Friday to accept or reject Lamy’s draft text for the ministerial conference.Lamy has told member states that progress was needed so that ministers had a document they could negotiate over rather than a litany of differences.Brussels, under pressure from EU agricultural powers such as France to make no further concessions, says it can offer nothing more before Hong Kong.Even then, it says it will need a major move by developing nations in industrial goods and other areas.”We have to ensure that the Hong Kong outcome is balanced,” EU ambassador to the WTO Carlo Trojan told member states.But one thing on which the EU and its developing country critics agree is that Hong Kong should deliver tangible benefits for the poorest WTO members, including an “aid-for-trade” package and duty free access for their goods.- Nampa-Reuters