Fischler's surprise for Europe's farmers: now the argument over agriculture moves to the WTO: US farmers on the defensive CAP REFORM: Yesterday's breakthrough to sever the link between subsidies and output will encourage the European Union to claim the upper hand in its long-running negotiations in the Doha trade round, write Tobias Buck,Guy de Jonquie` resand Frances Williams LONDON 1ST EDITION

Much will depend on how the EU translates its reforms into negotiating proposals in the WTO. Here, there are both technical and political uncertainties. It is still unclear, for instance, exactly how yesterday's decision will affect export subsidies, the most criticised of the EU's support...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Financial times (London ed.)
Main Author TOBIAS BUCK, GUY DE JONQUIERES and FRANCES WILLIAMS
Format Newspaper Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London (UK) The Financial Times Limited 27.06.2003
Subjects
Agricultural subsidies
Agriculture
Cereals
Common Agricultural Policy
Developing countries
Farmers
LDCs
Liberalization
Reforms
Subsidies
Success
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Summary:Much will depend on how the EU translates its reforms into negotiating proposals in the WTO. Here, there are both technical and political uncertainties. It is still unclear, for instance, exactly how yesterday's decision will affect export subsidies, the most criticised of the EU's support programmes. An EU onslaught on US subsidies could create difficulties at home for Robert Zoellick, US trade representative. Although many US farmers support his WTO liberalisation proposals, some are reluctant to abandon domestic subsidies, which have provided a lifeline in recent lean times. If the EU refuses to play ball that calculation may come unstuck, leaving the US in a tactical dilemma. For that reason, some diplomats in the WTO expect Washington to intensify its attacks on the EU's border barriers as Cancun approaches. That, in turn, could lead Brussels to step up its criticisms of US farm subsidies.
ISSN:0307-1766