EU blasted as culprit for holding up trade talks

It was the European Union versus the rest of the world as global trade talks remained deadlocked today, with the EU defending itself from a barrage of criticism that its refusal to further open its farming markets threatened to torpedo the entire World Trade Organisation meeting.

Poor nations say that as a part of a global free-trade deal, the EU, the US and other rich nations must cut their farm subsidies and tariffs that block developing countries’ access to those lucrative markets.