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"Farm deal in Cancun is low priority for EU": Lamy
http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/030903204007.h45ye1k2

A deal on agricultural trade reform is not a priority for the European Union at upcoming World Trade Organisation talks in Cancun, Mexico, EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said on Wednesday.

Lamy told French LCI television that the EU had relatively few demands to make on agricultural trade and would focus its energies on areas where it was seeking bigger changes to existing trade rules.

"There's no reason to hurry to close negotiations on agriculture, on which we are not asking for much, by comparison to other areas where we're asking for much more," said the French commissioner, who serves as the EU's chief trade negotiator at the WTO.

Many developing countries and agricultural exporters are frustrated with the EU's refusal to budge on its protectionist farm subsidies on both production and exports of foodstuffs, combined with import tariffs.

Lamy referred to last weekend's breakthrough agreement on generic medicines, in which the WTO's 146 members agreed to allow countries without their own manufacturing capabilities to import cheaper copies of patented drugs to combat deadly disease epidemics.

"If we hadn't resolved the problem of essential medicines, which was the main demand made by developing countries, the rest would not have moved forward," he said.

Lamy said trade in services would be on the agenda in Cancun, but vowed to remain firm on the EU's refusal to liberalise cultural and audiovisual services such as music and cinema.

"The European Union has published the offer it has made on services and none of these sensitive areas are affected," he said.


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