SECOND INSTALMENT OF AG CHAIR'S CHALLENGES PAPER DELAYED

The chair of the WTO talks on farm trade has postponed issuing the second instalment of a paper outlining parameters for a plausible deal on a number of areas in the troubled negotiations. The document, which will cover subjects not addressed by an earlier paper that also aimed to goad Members towards compromise by forcing them to discuss various issues, was originally due on 14 May (see BRIDGES Weekly, 2 May 2007). It is now expected the week of 21 May.

As in the first instalment, the text is likely to set out Chair Ambassador Crawford Falconer's (New Zealand) assessment of the 'centres of gravity' in the negotiations: the approximate areas in which he thinks consensus will most likely be found, often expressed as a narrower range of figures than those encompassed by Members' various bargaining positions. Issues not covered in the first paper included 'green box' farm subsidies and the treatment of small and vulnerable economies.

The paper was ostensibly postponed "because of various competing demands on [the chair's] time." However, trade sources speculated that Falconer may be awaiting the results of meetings between the 'G-4' group of major trading powers (Brazil, the EU, India, and the US), on the margins of an OECD meeting in Paris from 16-18 May.

Falconer intends to hold a series of consultations with small groups of Members to discuss their reactions to his papers. Discussions on export competition issues are expected on 22-23 May; domestic support, on 24-25 May; and market access, on 29-30 May.

An informal meeting open to all Members would be held on the afternoon of 30 May, in order to review the results of the discussions and to promote transparency. Further consultations will be held after that.

The chair also told negotiators that they would be left with some time to organise their own internal meetings, and to hold consultations within and among coalitions and groups.

The first instalment of the chair's paper is available online at: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/agric_e/chair_texts07_e.htm.

ICTSD reporting.