Agriculture: EU optimistic over negotiations with U.S.

The European Commission is "moderately optimistic" that the European Union and the United States may reach a common stance on a report on agriculture which could break the deadlock in negotiations to liberalise trade within the World Trade Organization (WTO).

However, an EC spokesman added that telephone conversations held over the weekend between top-ranking EU and US politicians, have not "yet yielded a final result."

The issue was discussed by EC Commerce Commissioner Pascal Lamy and Agricultural Commissioner Franz Fischler with US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick, said the spokesman, adding that further "contacts" are continuing at "a technical level."

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