Directorate-General for Trade

The Doha Round

For EU submissions to the WTO during the Doha Round, see Submissions

The Doha Round of world trade negotiations was launched in Doha (Qatar) in November 2001. Named the Doha Development Agenda, this round of trade negotiations is much broader than past global trade negotiations and is specifically targeted at addressing the needs of developing countries. The focus of negotiations has been on

• reforming agricultural subsidies
• improving the access to global markets and
• ensuring that new liberalisation in the global economy respects the need for sustainable economic growth in developing countries.

EU priorities for Doha

The successful conclusion of the Doha negotiations would confirm the central role of multilateral liberalisation and rule-making. It would confirm the WTO as a powerful shield against protectionist backsliding.

The EU's objectives are as follows:

• In market access for the industrial goods sector, the EU wants to create significant new trade flows by cutting tariffs in both developed countries and the growing emerging economies such as China, Brazil and India. The goal is to create new trade between developed countries, but also between developing countries. This means lowering tariffs on industrial goods but also negotiating common rules on how to address obstacles to trade generated by a too complex and non-transparent regulatory system.
• The EU also wants to improve and clarify the WTO rulebook on subsides that distort the production of industrial goods. These include longstanding financial support made available to exporters on non-commercial terms as well as governments' provision of inputs to domestic producers at prices substantially more favourable than those available to foreign producers (so-called dual or discriminatory pricing).
• For the agriculture sector the EU is committed to an agreement that reforms farm subsidy programs throughout the rich world in line with the EU's wide-ranging 2003 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy. As part of the Doha Round, the EU has offered to cut farm tariffs by 60%, reduce trade distorting farm subsidies by 80% and eliminate farm export subsidies altogether. The EU also wants to see new market access opportunities for its own processed agricultural exports.
• In market access negotiations for the services trade, Doha should bring considerable and real market opportunities for business as well as benefits to consumers world-wide. However, the EU does not seek general deregulation or privatisation of sectors where principles of public interest are at stake, and the EU is also committed to defending the right of WTO members to promote cultural diversity.
• The EU wants the Doha Round to agree a package of development measures including: a special agreement to address trade distortions caused by subsidies to cotton farmers in developed countries; the extension of unlimited markets access to all Least Developed Countries by as many countries as possible; a new global package of 'aid for trade' assistance to help the poorest build the capacity to trade; special measures to help the poorest countries implement any Doha Agreement effectively and without long-term harm to their economies.
• The EU wants the Doha Round to agree a new set of rules to govern the use of trade defence instruments so that they are not abused, and a complete update of the WTO's rulebook for trade facilitation, the standard practice for customs and other border related procedures world wide – a potential source of huge savings for traders, especially in developing countries. The EU also wants to use the Doha Round to improve the protection of geographical indications – the special legal identity given to products like Parma Ham and Roquefort cheese that are closely linked to a particular place and tradition of production.