The Japan Times
BRUSSELS (Kyodo) Agriculture Minister Yoshio Yatsu agreed with his European Union partners Monday to pursue recognition of the multifunctional role of agriculture in a new round of trade liberalization talks, EU and Japanese officials said.
A spokesman for EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said that the meeting between Lamy and Japan's new agriculture, forestry and fisheries minister was "fruitful."
Yatsu and Lamy mainly discussed the position of agriculture in the context of a new round of trade liberalization talks to be held under the World Trade Organization and agreed "on the multifunctionality aspects," Anthony Gooch said.
Prior to the meeting with Lamy, Yatsu met with Franz Fishler, EU agriculture and fisheries commissioner, to discuss their negotiation positions for the round.
Both sides in December submitted agricultural trade proposals to the WTO on how liberalization in the area should be negotiated.
WTO members agreed to initiate negotiations to continue the agricultural trade reform process by the end of 1999. These talks started in March and are continuing.
In the proposals, Japan and the EU stressed the importance of recognizing the specific role of agriculture as a provider of public goods.
"The multifunctional role of agriculture, which includes its contribution to sustainable development, the protection of environment, the sustained vitality of rural areas and poverty alleviation, should be recognized," the EU proposal said.
Meanwhile, the Cairns Group led by Australia and the United States is demanding a far-reaching liberalization of the farm sector, warning that the multifunctional role could be used as a "cloak for protectionism."
According to a Japanese official, Yatsu also asked the EU partners to acknowledge Japan's position on a slower pace of expansion in mandated rice imports to protect Japanese rice farmers.
Japan's proposal demands that it be allowed to import rice at a slower rate than stipulated in the 1993 Uruguay Round Agreement, saying the current system "has the fundamental problem of imbalance between importing and exporting countries in terms of their rights and obligations."
The Japan Times: Jan. 17, 2001 (C) All rights reserved:
