India's chief trade negotiator Rahul Khullar yesterday warned that the much-planned ministerial meeting, which the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Pascal Lamy wants to convene soon, can succeed only if there was a revised Doha Rules text reflecting the concerns of all the members and an immediate resolution of "TRIPS-CBD issue".

Intervening at a general council meeting, the highest forum for taking day-to-day decisions, Khullar said unambiguously that these two issues — a revised Rules text and providing intellectual property right protection for genetic materials — are prerequisites for convening a ministerial meeting.

"We want to see progress in these areas before rushing to a ministerial meeting," Khullar told Business Standard, suggesting there has to be a balanced outcome on important issues before members are asked to pay on agriculture and market-opening for industrials.

He said New Delhi had consistently maintained that an agreement to finalise the modalities (benchmark) for cutting agriculture tariffs and subsidies as well as industrial tariffs can only happen after fundamental issues in the Doha agenda were addressed upfront.

India wants to know what it would get for its short-term movement of skilled service providers under Mode 4 on a non-immigration basis from the US and the European Union, said Khullar.

He added this was the most important market access area for all developing countries like India.

Lamy informed members yesterday that other issues in the Doha agenda would be addressed in a sequential manner, adding there would be a "document" on Rules to provide comfort to members.

But several members led by India have insisted that important issues cannot be put under carpet merely to satisfy a powerful member of the WTO.

Up until now, the US has consistently opposed a revised Rules text on the plea that it would undermine the modalities agreement. Washington, which lost all the trade disputes at the WTO on the issue zeroing methodology that enables its anti-dumping authorities to inflate anti-dumping margins, remains isolated on its demand to continue with this controversial framework despite widespread opposition.

Washington also does not want any amendment of the TRIPS agreement to include "disclosure" provisions or other measures "to counter bio-piracy, erroneous patents and misappropriation of genetic resources."

Besides, the US is not willing to offer any access on Mode 4 on the ground that it is an immigration issue.

During a meeting between the WTO chief and chairs of different Doha negotiating bodies on Tuesday, the chair for Doha services negotiations, Ambassador Fernando de Mateo, said there would not be any favourable response on the issue of Mode 4 from the US.

But many developing countries led by India strongly feel if they have to pay in agriculture and NAMA by taking fresh commitments, they must gain significantly in areas of their interest from the trade majors, BS was told.

D Ravi Kanth / Geneva May 08, 2008

Source: www.business-standard.com