Speech by Commissioner Mandelson during his visit to the WTO

I am very happy to be here.

It is no accident that I came here on Day 1 in the job. The WTO and Geneva are the heart of multilateral trade system. Developing and strengthening that system is my top priority - and its biggest prize is success in the Doha Round.

Having met and spoken to DG Supachai, his staff, the Chairs of the negotiating groups, Ambassadors and others, my impression is this: everyone can see the potential of the Round, there remains a lot of ground to cover but last July's breakthrough on agriculture and reform of the CAP has delivered progress and unlocked the chance of success.

It is now important to give new momentum and a renewed sense of urgency to our work, to fulfil the original aims of the Doha Development Agenda and to bring the Round to a final conclusion.

Following the framework put in place in July, our goal during the coming year must be to bring other areas of work to the same level as agriculture, and to fill in this framework. The Hong Kong Ministerial in December 2005 will be rapidly upon us. It must mark a further critical advance, through agreement on detailed modalities.

I believe this is attainable but challenging. It requires hard work here in Geneva but I hope that focus on relevant and related issues at next year's G8 meeting and the UN review of the Millennium Development Goals will help create the positive environment we need for success.

The development agenda is crucial. Without progress on attaining our development goals there will be no Round. It is essential to show tangible benefits for the developing countries, especially the poorest of them.

I welcome the emergence of effective negotiating groups representing them. This was both necessary and desirable. But it also highlights the fact that not all developing countries share identical interests. I hope these groups will strengthen their structure and continue to engage constructively in negotiation.

We in Europe must help build the capacity of poorer countries both to participate in international negotiations and to benefit from more open trade. The EU has a responsibility in promoting this and I have already discussed this with my colleague, Louis Michel.

There are areas of our policies, for example on preferences and rules of origin, whose impact we need to keep under constant review. There is a lot in our 'tool box' to assist in the transition that trade opening involves. The key is flexibility because although all need to contribute to a successful outcome, they will not do so in the same manner or to the same extent.

So development is key. But the Round - and I must stress this - also has to benefit other participants too. The purpose of multilateral negotiation is to find win-win solutions. We must make sure that the agenda, which has already been significantly narrowed, remains balanced and ambitious.

It is essential now to make much faster progress on non agricultural issues: trade in goods and services and anti-dumping. I will be looking for serious commitment from all partners in both areas, including more ambitious offers in services before the agreed May deadline. What is currently on the table is far from adequate.

If this commitment is not forthcoming, we will not succeed. The negotiation has to be a two way street and while Europe will continue to play its full part in bringing the Round to success, we cannot be its only banker.

There is much bargaining ahead. This will happen if all accept that we need radical progress in all areas - yes on agriculture, and we stand ready to deliver the commitments we made in July, which others need to match - but also on other areas of the Round which must be given equal importance.

We must see a similar breakthrough in non-agricultural market access and in this advanced developing countries have a key role to play.

So my message today is: we must renew our efforts and inject urgency. We must keep development at the centre of our agenda. But all countries also need to demonstrate commitment to achieving a balanced, ambitious outcome which delivers benefits for everyone and so commands the widest possible support.

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• Commissioner Mandelson begins his mandate with visit to WTO in Geneva (22/11/2004)