EU hoping for Bush support on trade agreement

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is meeting US President George Bush today in an attempt to jump-start global free trade talks that collapsed in July over deep differences on farm subsidies.

Barroso, before leaving for Washington, said that “the moment of truth” for settling World Trade Organisation negotiations “is fast approaching, and the US holds the key to making a deal possible in 2007. The alternative, a delay of several years, would come at a high price for all”.