Trade
Points concerning the position of EU/Greece
EU and its MS are truly committed to find solutions in view of a rapid conclusion of the DDA. There is only a narrow window of opportunity in the next few months, which will not come back.
The EU is aiming at a balanced package: balance within agriculture, between Market access and domestic support and export competition; balance within NAMA where the best results for the whole of the Membership can be achieved through a Swiss formula, and balance between the various areas of the negotiations.
The key for success of the round is:
1) increased market access and new business opportunities in industrial goods, services and agriculture
2) consolidation of genuine farm reform in developed countries through substantial reduction in trade distorting domestic subsidies and full elimination and disciplining of export competition measures, and
3) reinforcement of the WTO rule book.
Priority issues for the next few weeks are the following:
Trade distorting domestic subsidies on agriculture: developing countries will need to see clear progress on this in order for them to accept more ambitious commitments on NAMA and services and to accept a balanced solution on special products for agriculture.
NAMA: commercially meaningful cuts in applied rates and modalities for the use of NAMA flexibilities by developing countries.
Services key Members should make pledges as to future new offers (for which a date should be set).
Agricultural tariffs: increased market access, without loopholes, in a way that is sustainable for developed and developing countries and respects sensitivities.
The rules dimension of the negotiations is a key issue for the EU: in the final agreement, we need to see substantial results on anti-dumping, subsidies, geographical indications (multilateral register and extension), trade facilitation and trade & environment. Any earlier “breakthrough” or “interim” agreement should provide guarantees that serious and tangible negotiations will take place on these issues.