Summary: 30 July 2008, Geneva - Statement by Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, on the failure of the Doha round of the WTO
I simply can't find words to express my disappointment. Never have we been so close to a solution only to see everything fall apart.
The Odyssey we have been on since Hong Kong has had its ups and downs, its crises, its calmer waters. Sometimes we have hit brick walls, sometimes we have felt renewed hope. And that has been the story of this week too.
The failure to reach agreement is a huge wasted opportunity to cut barriers to trade, to open up markets and to give a much-needed boost to the global economy. I just wonder if everyone involved really understands how serious a lost opportunity this is.
It's a truly sad day for developing countries, which had so much to gain from a successful outcome.
And what makes it even worse is that this collapse was completely avoidable.
At the start of this week, we stood on the verge of an historic agreement. It is a tragedy that seven years of hard work and all the efforts made over the past week and a half have come to nothing.
The European Union came here determined to get an ambitious and balanced agreement. We never stopped working towards that goal. What the EU put on the table would have been painful for our farmers. We were prepared to do it to bring about a successful conclusion. But this chance has been missed.
Our process of reform will continue - starting with the CAP Health Check. But without agreement in the Doha Round, there will be less stability in the international trading environment. We will be operating in uncertain waters now, ahead of the next wave of reform for the years after 2013.
Right up to the moment of failure, the outline of an agreement on agriculture was there for all to see. It was tough but it was fair and it respected our red lines.
I regret that the deal has slipped through our fingers.
The consequences of this immense failure, compared with the value of the volume trigger in the Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM), is totally out of proportion.
We failed to seize the momentum to secure the future. If we can't manage trade, how are we going to manage climate change?
I hope the convergence achieved over recent months can form the basis for renewed talks, whenever this is possible.
| Top |
European Union Member States
Alerts by email
Email this page
Print this page