Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-24-Speech-3-239"
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"en.20030924.6.3-239"2
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"Madam President, I should like to say at the outset that I agree with those who have said that we have to look to the future. However, what others have said here today, that we must take stock of what happened, is equally important.
My first point is that we should not waver in our continuing commitment to multilateral trade rules.
We arrived in Cancún with an extremely overloaded agenda: ministers had enormous difficulty grappling with too many complex, unresolved issues. The process, therefore, is clearly unsustainable. The whole process of those few days was virtually wasted until Saturday when the revised text appeared, to the consternation of developing countries. There was a real sense when we arrived in Cancún – as confirmed by this revised text – that the vision, promise and ambition of Doha was being seriously threatened, because matters of substance on agriculture, cotton and the new issues, which are important to developing countries, simply were not being addressed. We have to acknowledge very clearly what the perception of developing countries is. It is not good enough to come here and say that the developing countries were asking for too much. They should be insulted by the implication that NGOs were able to manipulate and manage their opinions in the way that some have said.
In view of the proximity of the December date for the meeting in Geneva, I would like to ask, Commissioner, what kind of bridge-building and confidence-building you are engaged in at this time – having just had a moment to catch your breath after Cancún – to try to ensure that we have some success there?
Finally, on the Singapore issues: are you aware, Commissioner, that on Thursday the DTI Minister in the UK said that she would be seeking a meeting with you on the Singapore issues to ensure that you stick to the position that was taken in Cancún and that we will no longer press for negotiations at the WTO on investment and competition? Are you aware that the British Minister said this in the House of Commons and do you expect your mandates to change on the basis of this kind of statement?"@en1
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