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News Releases
No. 127/05
December 19, 2005
EU WELCOMES SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME OF WTO HONG KONG MEETING
Statement by
Trade Commissioner
Peter Mandelson
(December 18, 2005, Hong Kong)
Peter Mandelson
"Today Europe has gone further in its existing
commitment to eliminate its export subsidies by setting
a clear end date in 2013. I said we came to Hong Kong to
do business and this shows we meant it. We have
demanded, and received, equivalent commitments from
others for similar subsidy reform. This is a genuine
advance for the agriculture negotiation and for the
development goals of the
Doha Round.
Europe made it happen and we are pleased to have done
so. We rejected the demand for a 2010 final date for
what it is: a political gesture that would see Europe
withdraw from global export markets faster than is
economically sustainable. We have insisted on equal
reform from others because effective reform means that
all export subsidies are eliminated, not just Europe's.
That is what can be achieved in a multilateral
negotiation. We will continue to demand that others move
with us, every step, and every cut until all forms of
export subsidy are ended. In a week of disappointments
this is no small prize. It is not enough to make this
meeting a true success. But it is enough to save it from
failure."
Statement by
Agriculture Commissioner
Mariann Fischer
Boel (December 18, 2005, Hong Kong)
Mariann Fischer Boel
"I am happy that 2013 is in this paper as the
phase-out date for export subsidies. This is clearly
linked to the period when the current
CAP reforms will
be fully operational. The rest of the text on the
phase-out is not a Christmas gift for us. However, what
matters is that we will define later what the word
“substantial” means, in terms of how much we have to
reduce export subsidies before 2013. We will not accept
that it is so high that it disrupts our markets and
makes new reforms necessary. We have achieved good
changes on parallel commitments on export subsidies for
other countries. And the US will now have to make
significant farm reforms, for example to the infamous
Counter Cyclical Payments. All this is a good step for
the negotiations over the coming months, when we hope to
get agreement on final modalities."
Further Contact Information
Press and Media Relations
Delegation of the European Commission
2300 M Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
http://www.eurunion.org/PressRoom
Tel: 202-862-9552
Fax: 202-429-1766
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