Archive - oct. 28, 2005

The European Union's offer today to cut its farm tariffs by as much as 60 percent falls short of expectations because the proposal allows exemptions that would block key exports, U.S. officials and industry groups said.

An impasse became evident on negotiations on the major remaining issue relating to the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health when some key members appeared far apart on a solution, and disagreed even on how the process of consultations is going on, during a meeting of the TRIPS Council on 25 October.

EU has tabled new proposals on agriculture and other areas of the DDA trade talks to its negotiating partners in the 'Five Interested Parties' (FIPs).

The least developed countries in the WTO have made a request to the TRIPS Council to extend the transitional period for their implementing the TRIPS Agreement for a further 15 years after the present transition period expires at the end of this year.

A ranking US trade officials reassured US senators that nothing will move ahead in the ongoing Doha Development Agenda trade negotiations until the European Union presents an acceptable offer on agricultural market access

President Jacques Chirac of France broke with the rest of the Union and said he was prepared to block world trade talks. Chirac's intervention came as the European Commission was due Friday to make a new offer to break the deadlock on world trade negotiations.

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letter sent from Commissioner Mandelson to WTO Director-General, Pascal Lamy, expressing concerns about the lack of progress in the NAMA and services negotiations