DOHA DEVELOPMENT ROUND OF WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION TALKS
Little apparent progress is being made in WTO discussions leading into the mini-Ministerial held in Montreal at the end of July which are in preparation for WTO talks in Cancun, Mexico this September. EU reforms to the CAP (outlined above) are far short of previous proposals and targets. The U.S. has made it clear that no reductions will
be made to the Farm Bill without meaningful (and large) reductions from the EU. But, as French President Jacques Chirac made clear, "European farmers will not pay twice. If they meet the terms of CAP reform, they will definitely not give again at the WTO". A successful conclusion to WTO negotiations by 2005 seems extremely remote.
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