Sarkozy threatens use of veto at WTO

FRENCH president Nicolas Sarkozy has warned that his country will use its veto in negotiations at the World Trade Organisation, if its farming interests are threatened.

President Sarkozy was speaking during a meeting with farmers in the Seine-Maritime region in northern France.

“I am not inclined to swap farming against services as part of WTO negotiations,” the new French president said, stressing that, if there is an effort at the WTO negotiations everyone should make it.

“For the moment, I can’t see what effort the United States is prepared to make,” he said, also citing India and Brazil.

Mr Sarkozy has made it clear since he became president earlier this month that, under his leadership there would be no break in France’s fierce opposition to making further concessions on agriculture in trade talks.

Following the French veto threat, European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said the EU cannot accept an agreement to resolve WTO free-trade talks on “any terms”.

Agriculture and Food Minister Mary Coughlan said recently that she was particularly pleased at the supportive stance adopted by France at the Council of Ministers.

She said this was a clear signal that the EU would not be pushed into an agreement for the sake of it at the expense of the future sustainability of EU agriculture.