FED: US and EU agriculture policies criticised

AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-1999
FED: US and EU agriculture policies criticised

CANBERRA, April 14 AAP - Agriculture Minister Mark Vaile today criticised United States and
European Union agricultural policies, maintaining they did not bode well for this year's new
World Trade Organisation round of negotiations on agricultural trade reform.

Mr Vaile told a Grains Council of Australia conference in Perth that Australia was
disappointed with the EU's trade actions and concerned about US policies which sent the wrong
signal on trade reform.

"The government is ... concerned at signals coming from the US on the direction of US
agricultural policy," he said.

These included the recent provision of a substantial assistance package to US farmers to
ease the impact of falls in commodity prices and natural disasters, and ongoing Clinton
administration discussions on increasing the farm safety net.

"These developments do not send the right signals as we head into a new round of
agricultural trade negotiations," Mr Vaile said.

The final outcome of the EU Commission's Agenda 2000 proposals for agricultural reform had
been very disappointing because proposals accepted were so watered down, he said.

"We all share a certain level of disappointment with the EU's performance in fair trade, or
should I say unfair trade," Mr Vaile said.

"The EU continues to pay very generous and unnecessary subsidies on grain exports. A past
excuse was it had to compete with US export subsidies," he said.

AAP msl/sc/ao

KEYWORD: TRADE VAILE

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