WTO Meeting Will Fail If Europe Can’t Do Better, Says Brazil

The Brazilian Minister of Foreign Relations, Celso Amorim, believes that the determination of a date for an end to agricultural export subsidies could give a lift to the Doha Round negotiations.

Even though ending these subsidies is already a given between the developed and developing countries, the establishment of a timetable would enliven the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) 6th Ministerial Meeting, which began today.

"This is not any concession. We know that it will come at the end of the round," Amorim commented on the eve of the conference.

"The pledge already exists, but setting a date would have a strong symbolic impact." Putting an end to export subsidies was agreed upon by the WTO’s member states in July, 2004.

The minister emphasizes that, for the negotiations to make effective progress, the European Union will have to improve its offer of access to agricultural commodity markets.

The G20 calls for a 54% average reduction in the tariff levels practiced by the developed countries, whereas the European Union defends an average cut of 39% and the inclusion of 8% of the products (of a total of 176) on a sensitive list, not liable to the average cut, and nearly all the products of interest to Brazil are on this list.

The Europeans have been claiming they have no more room to bargain and are unable to improve their offer. In Amorim’s assessment, however, there is a degree of ambiguity in the European position, since they don’t make it clear whether they will never make a better offer or are just unable to do it at this moment.

"Being optimistic and believing that they just can’t do it at this moment, but will be able to in the future, if we decide on a deadline for ending export subsidies, it will demonstrate a serious intention to continue to move ahead," he judges.

"We know that if the European Union fails to improve its offer of market access, the United States will not improve its own and may even rescind its offer when it comes to domestic subsidies. In which case, everything remains at a stalemate," the chancellor concludes.

Agência Brasil

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazil’s Finance Minister Close to Resignation on Corruption Charges

The Brazilian Attorney General’s Office will file corruption charges against Finance Minister Antonio Palocci, ...

Brazil’s Petrobras Throws Half a Billion Dollars at World’s Tecnological Race

Brazilian state-controlled oil and gas multinational Petrobras plans on investing more than 1 billion ...

Not Even Sorry from Carrefour Brazil After Its Goons Beat Up Man for Stealing Own Car

Unlike the US, Brazil doesn’t have two separate social classes, divided between whites and ...

Japanese in Brazil Looking for a Good Deal

A Japanese mission is visiting the city of Manaus, capital of the state of ...

Stock Market Investors Grow But Investment Shrinks in Brazil

From July to August, the number of natural people investing in the São Paulo ...

Researchers in Brazil Get US$ 2.1 Million to Study AIDS and STDs

Beginning this month, researchers from all over Brazil will begin to receive funding from ...

Brazil’s Public TV Will Target 3 Million Brazilians Overseas

Tereza Cruvinel, the chairwoman of Brazilian state-owned communications company Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), ...

Survey Shows: Brazilian Indians Are Less Illiterate and More Evangelical

Illiteracy among Indians in Brazil fell sharply in the decade between 1991, when it ...

Athletes and Tourists Should Think Twice If Rio’s Olympics Are Worth the Risk

Brazil has already faced criticism for the increased violence in the favelas surrounding Rio ...

Brazil: Zero Hunger Is Dead, Long Live Zero Hunger

A revamped and unified social assistance program to be soon launched in Brazil intends ...