EU-DIGEST

Russia More Than 90% There To Joining WTO - by Sharon Li

Russia is more than 90% on the way to joining the World Trade Organization, the European Union's trade chief said in a statement Friday. The E.U. and Russia held talks in Nice, France, this week. The E.U. has refused to support Russia joining the WTO until Russia removes export duties it has imposed on timber shipments. The duties are hurting E.U. paper companies in Finland and the Baltic region. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin agreed this week to delay planned increases in the tariffs while negotiations continue.

Labels: EU, Russia, WTO

US blocks compromise at WTO - EU's Mandelson points at U.S. after WTO collapse- by William Schomberg

The European Union's trade chief said on Wednesday the United States helped to bring down global trade talks this week when its negotiators shunned a compromise proposal at a key juncture in the talks. The proposal was drawn up by the EU on Tuesday in a last-gasp bid to unblock an impasse over an agricultural trade issue being discussed by seven powers at the centre of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Mandelson initially declined to point fingers, calling the collapse of the talks a collective failure. But his frustration at Washington was clear in a weblog he wrote on Wednesday, describing the events of the previous day when the talks failed. "...when WTO chief (Pascal) Lamy reconvenes the Group of Seven negotiators at midday, the Indians and the Chinese express reservations and the U.S. rejects the proposal outright, much to Lamy's understandable frustration," Mandelson said. "It seems that the issue on which we have diverged is more important for some than agreement as a whole. Instead of reaching out for help to solve the problem, they are digging in," he said.

Labels: US, WTO

Sarkozy says will not sign WTO deal as it stands

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Thursday he would not sign the current version of a global trade deal unless it was modified.Talks to salvage a global trade deal faced a crunch point on Thursday after three days of scant progress and officials said it would be clear soon whether it was worth pressing on.

Labels: EU, France, Sarkozy, WTO

Norway - Disagreement over WTO negotiations

The Farmers' Union (Bondelaget) claims 40,000 jobs will disappear if Norway agrees to the new proposed WTO agreement. At the same time Brekk says that Norwegian farmers will have to reckon with lower import tax on various farm produce.

Labels: Norway, WTO

Mandelson: EU backs Russia´s bid to enter WTO - by Zhang Pengfe

European Union trade chief Peter Mandelson expressed support for Russia to join the World Trade Organization.

Peter Mandelson, European Union trade chief, said, "Frankly, we want to see Russia in the WTO, it's the largest economy of its size and importance outside of the organisztion, there are benefits, substantial benefits, both for Russia and its trading partners.Russia has to take important steps to integrate into the global economy and one of the best ways it can do that is by growing and integration and convergence between its economy and that of the European Union."

Labels: EU, Russia, WTO