WTO agreement on agriculture (3)

An EU/US framework agreement on the agricultural negotiations has been criticised by developing countries and the Cairns Group. The EU has promised further cuts in domestic support although some may be conditional on acceptance of its definition of non-trade-distorting forms of support, but the disadvantages suffered by developing countries is switching from simple commodities to value-added agricultural products. The ACP Council of Ministers have appointed a single spokesperson for the Cancun Ministerial and hope to work with the EU to maintain ACP preferences in the European market. The June 26th 2003 agreement has left the EU with less freedom of manoeuvre at Cancun than it hoped, and the expiry of the 'peace clause' may lay its policies open to new challenges.An EU/US framework agreement on the agricultural negotiations..