Note:Your browser doesn't correctly display this page because of a bad stylesheets interpretation. This is probably due to an old browser version.

 
[Luxembourg 2005 Presidency of the Council of the European Union]
 Version française        
 

You are here : Home > News > Press Releases > April 2005 > Nicolas Schmit: "There is broad agreement within the European Union to create a new dynamic in the Doha Round negotiations"
Print this page Send this page

Press Release
Nicolas Schmit: "There is broad agreement within the European Union to create a new dynamic in the Doha Round negotiations"

Date of release : 25-04-2005

Policy area : General Affairs and External Relations

Event : General Affairs and External Relations Council


At a brief press conference on Monday, 25 April 2005, the Minister Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Nicolas Schmit, made the following statement on the Doha Round negotiations and the role the European Union has to play in this matter:

"The discussions on agriculture and "ad valorem" tariffs have not been concluded. We recognise that there is a danger of the discussions on the dossier on access to the industrial product markets, as well as on issues relating to the regulations, grinding to a halt. The message which has been clearly conveyed to Commissioner Mandelson, and which he has confirmed, states that the European Union must play a leading role in relauching the Doha Round negotiations. There are several options to start the relaunch process: a ministerial meeting within the framework of next week’s OCDE meeting, with a view to preparing the Hong Kong meeting (a meeting which is vital to the Doha Round’s success). Another meeting will be held in China in July 2005 to take stock of the situation. We must see how the European Union can defend its own interests which are grouped together in one package, spread out over the aspects of ‘agriculture’, ‘industrial tariffs’, ‘services’, ‘regulations’ and ‘intellectual property’. On the development issues, the European Union wishes to promote the interests of the most vulnerable developing countries. Commissioner Mandelson has already undertaken a number of initiatives, in particular with cotton-producing countries."

Minister Schmit concluded that there is "broad agreement within the European Union to create a new dynamic in the Doha Round negotiations. There is also an agreement to form alliances, first of all with the Americans, so that the relaunch becomes more concrete and enables a balanced agreement to be reached, a common agreement, which should take shape prior to the Hong Kong meeting in December. We must help developing countries and benefit from the G8 dynamic and UN meeting on the Millennium Goals in September. These meetings will not, however, replace the negotiations within the WTO."


Related links



This page was last modified on : 25-04-2005

Top Top