Agriculture and involving developing
countries
26. The Director-General of the WTO has identified
three key areas in which progress is required for there to be
a breakthrough. Two of these are agriculture-related: reductions
both in US agricultural subsidies and in EU agricultural tariffs.
Agriculture has in fact been at the heart of the Doha Round since
its launch. In his evidence to us, the Trade Commissioner said
that there was a range of positions on agriculture among developing
countries. He made a distinction between "more competitive"
developing countries, such as Brazil, who would be arguing for
radical agricultural liberalisation and others who would feel
more threatened by the loss of preferential tariffs.[35]
He told us,
"Hilary [Benn] and other members of the British
Government need to realise this. Sometimes when I hear them clamouring
for the dismantling of agricultural protection, the break-up of
the CAP [Common Agricultural Policy], I wonder whether they realise
that with the dispatch of the CAP would go the agricultural preferential
access to the poorest developing countries in the world."[36]
In our 2006 Report, we discussed the fact that different
groups of developing countries would benefit differentially from
agricultural liberalisation.[37]
We do not accept that the end of the CAP would mean the end of
special and preferential access for developing countries.
27. Since the suspension of negotiations in July
2006, there has been significant contact between EU and US negotiators.
There has been much less contact involving the developing countries
of the G110.[38] Where
there has been contact, this has largely been with the industrialised
G5 bloc.[39] The WTO
Director-General has stressed the need for transparency in the
negotiations and that the negotiations should be a multilateral
process in which all delegations participate.[40]
28. We recognise
that a deal involves compromise. No-one can expect that all aspects
of a successful outcome to the Doha Round will please all WTO
members. We do believe, however, that it is the WTO membership's
duty to ensure that a deal on agriculture does not favour only
those who shout loudest. We understand the rationale behind getting
the early agreement of 'key players' to any deal but we are concerned
that there is a danger that the EU and US could overcome their
difficulties only to find some developing countries, perhaps outside
the G5, rejecting a deal in which they have played little part.
We recommend that the Government encourage the EU to consult
broadly during the closing stages of the negotiations to ensure
it draws in the views of the full range of G110 countries.
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