Farm supports central issue at Hong Kong talks
As ministers from 149 countries began arriving for the meeting, the European Union was still under pressure from other countries to give further concessions on agriculture in return for greater market access elsewhere. However, the EU, which has carried major reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy, insisted it will not go beyond the offer it made on tariffs last October and has urged other countries to reciprocate.
The farm lobby in Ireland and in other member states, which strongly believes the European Commission has already gone beyond its negotiating mandate, fear that further offers will be made.
