Race to the April Deadline: Assessing Modalities for the Doha Round's Agricultural Negotiations
A Joint ICTSD-International Food & Agricultural Trade Policy Council Informal Roundtable

4 April 2006, Geneva, Switzerland

Description

The WTO's Doha Round negotiations are at a crucial stage. The modalities for an agricultural agreement are still to be decided, and the deadline of April 30 is approaching fast. The modalities, once agreed, will become WTO rules on agriculture and be legally binding commitments for WTO members.

In February 2006, Ambassador Crawford Falconer, Chairperson of the WTO Agricultural Negotiating Committee, circulated a set of questions on the modalities for an agriculture agreement. These questions isolated the main issues on which decisions still have to be taken.

In his presentation, Tim Josling, Professor Emeritus Food Research Institute, Stanford University and member of the International Food & Agricultural Trade Policy Network, will examine the questions posed by the Chair of the Agriculture Committee. Their focus is on the remaining technical and operational aspects relating to the three pillars of the Uruguay Round Agreement - market access, domestic support and export competition - and on the other elements that will be necessary for an agreement, such as a Geographical Indicators, the Peace Clause, a Continuation Clause, monitoring and notification, tariff escalation, and export taxes and restrictions.