EU hopes Washington talks will revive negotiations on global agreement

BRUSSELS – US-EU talks this week could give new impetus to stalled world trade negotiations by pointing the way toward resolving deep differences over farm subsidies, which have long held up progress, the European Union said Saturday.

“I hope both sides will signal strong new political commitment to rapid progress,” EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said before today’s talks in Washington. “We have now entered a narrow window of opportunity lasting until Easter, during which success for the world trade talks is possible.”An EU statement said a compromise put forward by the G20 group of developing nations could form “the possible outline” of a deal that would open up markets while respecting the need to protect “reasonable agricultural sensitivities of the less competitive” producers.”We now need the added momentum of political leadership from the highest level,” Mandelson said.”Europe and the US have a shared responsibility to make this happen.”The EU is hoping the election of a new Democrat-led Congress in the United States will lead to the US agreeing to cut subsidies to farmers in line with the G20 plan.The 27-nation European bloc wants the US to reduce “distorting” farm subsidies by US$8 billion.In its statement, the EU said it was willing to make concessions that come close to meeting the developing nations’ demands.Mandelson plans to discuss the trade round with US trade representative Susan Schwab.The EU delegation, headed by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, is also due to meet US President George W.Bush and speakers of both houses of Congress.World trade negotiations broke down in July in a bitter row over how much the EU, United States and other wealthy countries should reduce the farm subsidies and tariffs that poorer nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America say prevent them from selling their agricultural goods abroad.However, Mandelson said progress had been made in “quiet, constructive bilateral contacts” over the past few months.Nampa-AP”We have now entered a narrow window of opportunity lasting until Easter, during which success for the world trade talks is possible.”An EU statement said a compromise put forward by the G20 group of developing nations could form “the possible outline” of a deal that would open up markets while respecting the need to protect “reasonable agricultural sensitivities of the less competitive” producers.”We now need the added momentum of political leadership from the highest level,” Mandelson said.”Europe and the US have a shared responsibility to make this happen.”The EU is hoping the election of a new Democrat-led Congress in the United States will lead to the US agreeing to cut subsidies to farmers in line with the G20 plan.The 27-nation European bloc wants the US to reduce “distorting” farm subsidies by US$8 billion.In its statement, the EU said it was willing to make concessions that come close to meeting the developing nations’ demands.Mandelson plans to discuss the trade round with US trade representative Susan Schwab.The EU delegation, headed by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, is also due to meet US President George W.Bush and speakers of both houses of Congress.World trade negotiations broke down in July in a bitter row over how much the EU, United States and other wealthy countries should reduce the farm subsidies and tariffs that poorer nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America say prevent them from selling their agricultural goods abroad.However, Mandelson said progress had been made in “quiet, constructive bilateral contacts” over the past few months.Nampa-AP