A June 29 Ministerial on Modalities

Geneva - A ministerial meeting will be convened from June 29 to decide prospects for reaching full modalities in the Doha Development Agenda agriculture and nonagricultural market access negotiations by the end of July, WTD was told (WTD, 5/29/05.

Ahead of the expected ministerial meeting, chairs of the farm and industrials negotiations - Crawford Falconer and Don Stephenson, respectively - will table negotiating texts during the week of June 19 if there is progress over the next three weeks.

World Trade Organization chief Pascal Lamy secured approval from a select group of trade envoys at a 'green room' meeting yesterday on these two issues. Though members sought several clarifications on the process set out by Mr. Lamy, nobody raised objections to either the ministerial meeting or the issuance of texts, WTD was told.

Singapore strongly endorsed the Lamy initiative. The European Union made it clear that the texts would not be legally binding - only issued to politically influence the process.

At the small 'green room' session, trade envoys asked about the type of texts to be tabled and whether they will emerge from a bottom-up process 'as had been promised' or presented on the chairs' own responsibilities.

Messrs. Falconer and Stephenson responded by saying members, themselves, will decide what should figure in the texts. The papers will reflect the level of convergence or lack thereof, he said. If there is no progress on difficult issues over the next three weeks, then the texts will reflect the state of play.

Others at the meeting suggested that if some basic issues in the architecture of the negotiations are settled, then issues relating to 'figures' will be left to trade ministers to decide. Some trade envoys told WTD there is no clear indication as yet whether the texts will include full or partial modalities.