Bilateral agreements ‘dangerous’

AS the multilateral world trade talks remain stalled, a former head of the World Trade Organisation has warned that bilateral agreements which are being negotiated between countries are a “dangerous phenomenon”.

Mike Moore, a former New Zealand prime minister, said bilaterals are not free-trade but preferential-trade agreements.

He said the stalemate in the global round he helped launch in 2001 in Doha, Qatar, was “very serious” and required political will to resolve.

Mr Moore blamed the deadlock on vested interests in the EU, the US, Japan, Norway and Switzerland, bent on retaining subsidies for farmers and protecting them from developing country competition.

Meanwhile, Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan has reiterated that she is committed to an ambitious and balanced outcome to the current negotiations.

“But, I am determined that agriculture will not carry a disproportionate burden in achieving progress and that it will not be sacrificed for the sake of overall agreement.

“My objective has been to ensure that, in accordance with the EU negotiating mandate, a new WTO agreement will not necessitate further reform of the CAP.

“In this context, I will continue to avail of every opportunity to emphasise the necessity that the Commission remains within the terms of the negotiating mandate.”