§ 10. Kali MountfordTo ask the Minister of State for International Development what objectives the Secretary of State will be pursuing at the fifth ministerial round of the World Trade Organisation at Cancun. [124281]
§ Hilary BennThe Government's overall objective for the Doha round of world trade negotiations is clear: we are working to secure a deal that brings real benefits to developing countries and to the UK.
Our immediate priorities for the Cancun ministerial in September are to increase developing country access to rich countries' agricultural markets, and to make rules on intellectual property flexible enough to allow developing countries to tackle public health problems. We are also pressing for effective special and differential treatment for developing countries.
§ 14. Mr. WyattTo ask the Minister of State for international Development what proposals the Secretary of State will put forward at the WTO meeting in Cancun to reduce tariff barriers between the EU and third world countries. [124285]
§ Hilary BennThe fifth ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Cancun this September will assess progress towards achieving the 'development' agenda set out in Doha in November 2001. As such, Ministers will consider the merits of already tabled 835W proposals on increasing developing countries' access to the rich countries' markets. Specifically, the EU is pushing for an overall average tariff reduction of 36 per cent. in the agriculture negotiations, and a reduction of tariffs on non-agricultural goods to a maximum of 15 per cent. The EU is also arguing that all developed countries should match the commitment that it has already made to grant duty and quota free access for all products excluding arms originating in least developed countries.