Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-11-30-Speech-3-031"
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"en.20051130.10.3-031"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the outlook is bleak, and that is just an understatement, because as Commissioner Mandelson said, we clearly need to fine-tune our ambitions. It is obvious that Hong Kong will not – unless a miracle happens – bring us the long-expected breakthrough in the multilateral trade negotiations. I just hope that the meaning of ‘Hong Kong’ will not need to be changed from ‘fragrant port’ to ‘silted-up quagmire’.
The main stumbling block remains, without a doubt, the agricultural dossier. Since Europe will not make concessions unless other large countries make more concessions, we find ourselves in a total stalemate. It is reported that things are even worse for the GATS negotiations, where nothing has been achieved as yet.
I think that the Commissioner is right in saying that a Doha round without a substantial and positive attitude towards the services industry is unacceptable for Europe. Should we search our own hearts? I do not think so. Europe has gone the extra mile, even two, in the multilateral trade negotiations. We already boast the world’s largest open economy. The European scheme for general preferences is the most generous preferential system. ‘Anything but arms’ is also unique in terms of exports to Europe by the least developed countries.
At the moment, though, the very principle of multilateral trade negotiations is at stake. There is a considerable risk that any fresh
in Hong Kong will completely undermine the World Trade Organisation, because trade blocs will look for, and seize, opportunities to enhance their market access by such means as bilateral and regional trade agreements. This scenario is best avoided if possible, because whilst the poorest countries are at risk of becoming the victim in this, the significance of the WTO, that has, after all, contributed to more economic growth, more development and more jobs over the past 50 years, cannot, and should not, be underestimated, even if this organisation needs, as a matter of urgency, reform in order to bring about more transparency, more efficiency and, above all, more democratic control.
Commissioner, we want to strengthen your negotiation mandate and your negotiation position by means of the resolution that is before us and on which we will be voting tomorrow. The fact that there is virtual unanimity in Europe makes your mission hopefully a little less impossible. Whichever way, we in Europe must remain the driving force behind the multilateral trade negotiations. Your key task now is to ensure that there is life after Hong Kong. Our attempts at supporting you in this may be rather modest, but they do carry a great deal of conviction."@en1
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"debacle"1
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