• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Our Bureau

NEW DELHI, Dec. 21

THE European Union's (EU) agricultural proposals for the WTO negotiations would benefit developing countries like India as it addresses New Delhi's key concerns in the Doha Development Agenda relating to "implementation issues" including agriculture.

Disclosing this to newspersons here, the Counsellor (Trade & Commercial Affairs) of the delegation of the European Commission to India, Nepal and Bhutan, Mr Stefano Gatto, said the EU is the largest importer of farm goods at $60 billion in 2001 and is also the largest importer of farm products from developing countries. The current EU proposals, involving cut in tariffs, reduction in export subsidies and lowering of domestic farm support, goes towards strengthening this position, he said.

As India is also in the process of carrying out a series of agricultural reforms, New Delhi would be able to establish enhanced market access for its products in the EU market, even as India's agricultural exports to EU are around 10 per cent of its total exports to EU.

With India being a key member country demanding a "Food Security Box", Mr Gatto said in order to facilitate the implementation of further tariff reductions and to meet the developing countries' concerns on sensitive agricultural crops, a special safeguard instrument should be extended to developing countries for purposes of food security.

He said substantially lower commitments might be agreed if this is necessary for developing countries to attain their legitimate objective concerning food security and other multifunctional concerns.

This also involves a significant reduction of tariff escalation on products of particular interest to India by reducing the level of tariff protection (both ad valorem and specific).

Mr Gatto said the EU has backed India's demand for extension of geographical indications (GIs) on a range of agricultural products such as Indian basmati rice, Darjeeling tea and the current EU proposal has adequately addressed this aspiration. He said some of the EU proposals such as the emphasis on rural development, longer implementation periods for reduction of tariffs and subsidies would also benefit developing countries like India.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail
Comment on this article to BLFeedback@thehindu.co.in

Stories in this Section
Central Silk Board hails move

Copyright © 2002, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line