AGRICULTURE NEGOTIATIONS: BACKGROUNDER
In a nutshell
AS OF 1 DECEMBER 2004
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This briefing document explains current agricultural issues raised before and in the current negotiations. It has been prepared by the Information and Media Relations Division of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ Secretariat to help public understanding about the agriculture negotiations. It is not an official record of the negotiations.
Phase 1 (23-24 March 2000 to 26-27 March 2001)
- 7 meetings
- 45 proposals
- 4 documents described as notes, submissions, technical submissions, discussion papers
- proposals from 121 countries (counting the EU as 16, i.e. the 15 countries plus the EU as a group) or 85% of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ’s membership; or, including technical submissions, from 126 countries, 89% of the °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø×ÊÁÏ’s membership
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Proposals |
Discussion papers /submissions |
Comprehensive |
US, EU, Japan, Switzerland, Mauritius, small island developing states, Rep of Korea, Mali, Norway, India, Poland, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt, Nigeria, Congo (Dem Rep), Kenya, Senegal, Mexico, Jordan, African Group, Namibia, Burkina Faso |
Croatia |
Export competition |
Cairns Group, EU |
MERCOSUR+ |
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Domestic support |
Cairns Group, US, Canada |
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Market access |
Canada, Cairns Group, developing countries group (3), transition group, Caricom |
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Non-trade concerns |
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38 countries, Argentina |
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Development, S&D |
Developing countries group (1), ASEAN |
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Other: |
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“Developing countries group” = sponsored some or all of
(1) (S&D and development box),
(2) (Green Box),
(3) + (market access)
(See “alliances” for details of groupings)
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Phase 2 (26-27 March 2001 to 4-7 February 2002)
Launched at the 26-27 March 2001 stock-taking meeting.
Phase 2 meetings
- 21-23 May 2001 informal meeting (tariff quota administration, tariffs, Amber Box)
- 23-25 July 2001 informal meeting (export subsidies, export credits, state trading enterprises, export taxes and restrictions, food security, food safety)
- 24-26 September 2001 informal meeting (rural development, geographical indications, Green Box, Blue Box, agricultural safeguards); 28 September formal meeting
- 3-4 December 2001 informal meeting (environment, trade preferences, food aid, consumer information and labelling, sectoral initiatives); 7 December formal meeting
- 4-6 February 2002 informal meeting: the development box, single commodity producers, special and differential treatment, small island developing countries, and “other issues”. 7 February formal meeting, to end Phase 2.
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The Doha mandate (from the Doha Ministerial Conference, November 2001)
Deadlines
- 31 March 2003: formulas and other “modalities” for countries’ commitments
- Fifth Ministerial Conference, Mexico, 2003: countries’ comprehensive draft commitments and stock taking
- 1 January 2005: Deadline for concluding negotiations, part of single undertaking
Preparations for ‘modalities’ and Cancún (26 March 2002 to September 2003)
Meetings and timetable
2002
- June meeting: export subsidies and restrictions (“intersessional” preparatory consultations 3-4 June 2002, informal 17-19 June, formal 20 June)
- Early September meeting: market access (“intersessional” preparatory consultations 29-30 July 2002, informal 2-3 September, formal 6 September)
- Late September meeting: domestic support (informal 23-25 September, formal 27 September)
- November meeting: follow-up (“intersessional” preparatory consultations 4-5 September 2002, informal 18-20 November, formal 22 November)
- 18 December: overview paper drafted by Chairperson Harbinson, based on discussions so far.
2003
- January meeting: comprehensive review based on overview paper (informal/formal 22-24 January)
- Drafting: first draft of modalities document
- February meeting: comments on first draft (informal/formal 24-28 February)
- Redrafting: second draft of modalities document
- March meeting: consideration of final text (informal/formal 25-31 March)
- 31 March: deadline
- April-June 2003 numerous technical consultations
- 26-27 June 2003 informal meeting, 1 July 2003 formal meeting
- 16-17 July 2003 informal meeting, 18 July 2003 formal meeting
- July–August 2003: preparations for the Cancún Ministerial Conference
- 10–14 September 2003: the Cancún Ministerial Conference
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The July 2004 package (September 2003 to 1 August 2004)
Meetings and timetable
- March, April and June 2004 agriculture negotiations meetings
- July 2004 “July package” meetings under General Council and Trade Negotiations Committee, including a session on agriculture, 21 July
- 1 August 2004 framework agreed
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The post-framework “modalities” phase (³§±ð±è³Ù±ð³¾²ú±ð°ù&²Ô²ú²õ±è;2004–)
Meetings and timetable
- 6–8&²Ô²ú²õ±è;°¿³¦³Ù´Ç²ú±ð°ù&²Ô²ú²õ±è;2004. First reading: Green Box domestic support, export credit/guarantees/insurance; exporting state trading enterprises; food aid, ad valorem equivalents of specific duties; special safeguard mechanism for developing countries
- 15–19&²Ô²ú²õ±è;±·´Ç±¹±ð³¾²ú±ð°ù&²Ô²ú²õ±è;2004. First reading: tariff quota administration; base for tariff quota expansion; tropical products and goods produced as substitutes for narcotics; methodology for product-specific AMS (Amber Box) caps; base period for domestic support commitments. More details: ad valorem equivalents of specific duties; exporting state trading enterprises; food aid; export credit/guarantees/insurance; Green Box domestic support. Specialist group consultation: ad valorem equivalents of specific duties
- 13–17&²Ô²ú²õ±è;¶Ù±ð³¦±ð³¾²ú±ð°ù&²Ô²ú²õ±è;2004
- 7–11&²Ô²ú²õ±è;¹ó±ð²ú°ù³Ü²¹°ù²â&²Ô²ú²õ±è;2005
- 14–18&²Ô²ú²õ±è;²Ñ²¹°ù³¦³ó&²Ô²ú²õ±è;2005
- 13–19&²Ô²ú²õ±è;´¡±è°ù¾±±ô&²Ô²ú²õ±è;2005
- 30&²Ô²ú²õ±è;²Ñ²¹²â–3&²Ô²ú²õ±è;´³³Ü²Ô±ð&²Ô²ú²õ±è;2005
- 11–15&²Ô²ú²õ±è;´³³Ü±ô²â&²Ô²ú²õ±è;2005
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