End game in sight for current round of world trade talks in Geneva

THE current round of world trade talks in Geneva, which pose a major threat to farming and agri business in Ireland, look set for an end game.

Diplomats said yesterday that World Trade Organisation (WTO) director-general Pascal Lamy had called for a group of ministers to meet, probably for several days, from July 21 to push the round toward conclusion.

The meeting would include 35 to 40 ministers representing a range of interests in the fractious negotiations about opening up agriculture, industry and services markets which Lamy is aiming to wrap up in 2008. If those ministers can successfully broker trade-offs in farming and manufacturing trade, diplomats said the basics of an accord could go to the WTO’s full membership as early as the end of July. Services would be discussed briefly by ministers and finalised later.

Irish Farmers Association president Padraig Walshe said the decision to proceed with a WTO ministerial meeting next month is proof of EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson’s determination to secure a deal at any cost. He said the IFA would maintain its constant vigilance and, if necessary, the veto commitment from Taoiseach Brian Cowen may have to be called on to prevent the destruction of the Irish farming and food sector.

Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Minister Brendan Smith warned at a Council of Ministers meeting in Luxembourg this week that the proposals on the table in Geneva at present are not balanced and, therefore, not an appropriate basis for a deal at this time.

“We should not rush into a bad deal to facilitate the US administration while ignoring the very real challenges ahead of food security and climate change. We must ensure that we retain an agricultural production base in Europe so that we can meet these new challenges both in the interests of the EU and of the world as a whole.”