By Doug Palmer
WASHINGTON, March 13 (Reuters) - World farm trade talks will get off to a good start later this month if countries agree to a time frame for the negotiations and a schedule of meetings, a U.S. trade official said on Monday.
Jim Murphy, assistant U.S. trade representative for agriculture, said the United States still hoped to complete the farm trade talks in three years.
But recognizing problems caused by the collapse of the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting in Seattle, the United States has modified its proposal for countries to table their negotiating positions by July, he said.
When WTO agricultural negotiators meet March 23-24 in Geneva, the United States will propose that countries lay out their negotiating objectives in two stages, Murphy said.
Under the U.S. plan, countries would only have to outline their broad objectives for the farm trade talks by the autumn or perhaps even the end of this year, Murphy said.
Then next spring, countries would be required to lay out their more specific objectives in the three main areas of market access, export subsidies and domestic support.
The new approach recognizes it would be hard for many countries, such as the EU and Japan, to give their "full, fleshed-out proposals" for agriculture until negotiations on other sectors are launched, he said.
The United States plans to pursue an ambitious agenda for the talks and will publish a Federal Register notice in the next few weeks asking for public input, Murphy said.
FARM TALKS REQUIRED TO START THIS YEAR
WTO members had hoped to launch a broad round of negotiations at the Seattle meeting in December.
When those efforts failed, countries were still required to begin agriculture and service negotiations this year under the so-called "built-in" agenda of the last world trade pact.
In a speech to a U.S. wheat industry group, Murphy said there had been good cooperation among WTO member countries in preparing for the agricultural talks. That will be put to the test next week at the first formal meeting of the negotiating group, he said.
"Things may not move as easily" because of the opportunity for some countries to drag their feet on procedural questions, such as how often negotiators will meet, Murphy said.
Meanwhile, WTO members still have not chosen a chairman and a vice-chairman for agricultural negotiations. The United States would like that issue resolved before the March 23-24 meeting, but the outlook is uncertain, Murphy said.
Despite the setback in Seattle, the United States remains committed to launching a broader round of trade talks this year, Murphy said. That would speed progress in the agricultural negotiations, he added.
Going into Seattle, there was a general consensus to try to finish all negotiations by the end of 2002, he said.
The United States would still like the farm trade talks completed in three years, but the EU and Japan may resist that goal, Murphy said.:
