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Differences emerged between developing countries on Wednesday over a key issue in World Trade Organisation (WTO) farm talks, a crucial part of struggling global free trade negotiations.

The agriculture meeting this Wednesday at the WTO is expected by many diplomats to be eventful as it will be on the eve of the issuing of a 'provocative' paper by the Chair of the agriculture negotiations.

More than 240 national and international groups representing religious, civil rights, environmental, farm, health, development and labour interests have come out in opposition to the grant of any new Fast Track trade authority for the WTO negotiations by the US Congress, and urged Congress to resist pressure by US corporate giants and other WTO proponents to renew this authority.

The chair of the WTO’s Doha agriculture negotiations, Ambassador Crawford Falconer of New Zealand, said Friday that he would be preparing a provocative "challenge" paper at the end of next week that would be a precursor to a revised draft of an agriculture text.

The European Union informed the World Trade Organization on Tuesday that it will raise retaliatory sanctions against U.S. products because Washington continues to distribute anti-dumping funds to its companies in violation of international commerce rules.

WTO members agreed on Friday 20 April to turn to multilateral negotiations at the WTO itself in Geneva as the central method to try and achieve a breakthrough in the organisation's troubled Doha talks.

Over 100 farmers and civil society organisations on Wednesday signed a memorandum rejecting the potential agreement by the Cairns Group and termed it anti-farmer and anti-Pakistan.

On 1 April, the deadline for American President George W Bush to inform the US Congress of his intention to sign trade agreements under his present fast-track authority expired. He was unable to send any such intention regarding the World Trade Organisation's Doha negotiations.

The mood of despondency is increasing among WTO members as the possibility that the Doha negotiations cannot make headway this year looms larger.

In a stated attempt to 'narrow the gaps' on one of the most contentious issues in the troubled Doha Round agriculture negotiations, Pakistan on 10 April issued a new paper seeking to split the differences between developing countries eager to shield some 'special products' from the full force of tariff cuts and the agricultural exporters that fear diminished commercial opportunities.