Yesterday the 149 countries in WTO (World Trade Organization) adopted North-South compromise agreement, doing away with subventions for agriculture exports until 2013. The agreement opens way to future general agreement to cut down on customs fees all over the world, say AFP and Rompres. After 6-day thorough talks, under pressure coming from anti-globalization protests, all delegations adopted final declaration launching again the negotiations in the so-called "Doha round", two years after the WTO ministerial conference in Cancun (Mexico) had failed because of vehement opposition between poor and rich states. The agreement is due to the compromise solution negotiated by Pascal Lamy, general president of WTO. In the document there is mentioned the parallel elimination of all forms of subventions for export, which is to be maintained by 2013. Starting with 2008 rich states are to import at least 97% of products exported by less developed states with no customs fees. The final version of the agreement also wants elimination of subventions for cotton export to be established starting with 2006, which is a rather delicate issue for the US. (...)

Gabi MOROIANU