Media releases
Thursday, 19 December 2002 - MVT164/2002
EU, Japan Need to Take Hard Decisions on Farm Trade
An overview paper which will form the basis for world agriculture negotiations disappointingly shows World Trade Organisation members have a long way to go on agriculture reform, Trade Minister Mark Vaile said today.
“I thank the Chair of the WTO Agriculture Committee, Stuart Harbinson, for the hard work he has put into the overview paper for these negotiations," Mr Vaile said.
"What this overview highlights is how far apart WTO members are in the agriculture negotiations. It is a list of all the ways in which protectionist members are ducking and weaving on agriculture reform.
"Stuart Harbinson has highlighted what we already know - there'll be no progress until members make the hard decisions and show us that what they agreed to at Doha was not an empty promise."
The overview paper summarises members' proposals to the Agriculture Committee, and will form the basis for discussions in coming months on the negotiating guidelines due to be finalised by March 2003.
"The weight of Cairns Group thinking and policy influence is obvious in this core negotiating document," Mr Vaile said.
"The text covers the detailed and credible technical work we have contributed on every issue, including tariff reduction and quota expansion formulas, formulas to phase out export subsidies, proposals to make deep cuts to domestic support, and special concessions to meet the needs of developing countries.
"Looking at recent proposals submitted by the European Union and Japan, however, you'd never know we had all agreed at Doha to a clear mandate for fundamental reform.
"The EU proposal would require no EU reforms beyond those already set in train. This is very disappointing, given the way in which the EU claims to help developing countries – notwithstanding its highly-distorting agricultural regime.
“Developing countries have had enough of the subsidies and protection that stifle their agriculture sectors. All the Cairns Group and developing countries are asking for is a fair go.
“Japan’s approach to these agriculture negotiations is quite extraordinary. On the one hand Japan would prefer agriculture go back 20 years to pre-Uruguay Round treatment, while on the other it wants a much wider negotiating agenda as part of the Doha Round in areas of its own economic interests. It’s hard to understand this level of inconsistency.
“Australia will continue to work hard in pushing our agricultural interests forward. The bottom line is there will be no outcome to the Doha Round unless there is an acceptable outcome for agriculture."
Media Contact: Robyn Bain (Ministerial) 02 6277 7420
Local Date:
Friday, 05-Dec-2008 13:52:21 EST
