Category Archives: Trade Talks

【News】 WTO chief says negotiators fail to reach pre-summit deal (Nov. 28, 2013)

  Satoko Adachi – Geneva Negotiators of the World Trade Organization who were holding talks in Geneva have failed to strike a deal to submit to the ministerial meeting the following week, WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo told the body’s general council on Tuesday, November 26. “The reality is that we have proved that we can’t cross the final yard here in Geneva,” Azevedo told reporters after the council meeting. “The process here is over.” Azevedo has pushed diplomats from the 159 member countries for weeks to try to agree on a text for the ministers to rubber-stamp in December in Bali, Indonesia. Bali has been seen as perhaps the last … Continue reading

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【Series】 The Common Agricultural Policy after 2013 in EU: Part 2 (Nov. 13, 2013)

  Interview with Dacian Ciolos, European Commissioner for Agricultural and Rural Development Q. What is the aim of introducing a new system under the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy to take account of environmental concerns? A. We should not focus only on short-term competition and economic benefits and use up natural resources which support agricultural sustainability. We adopted “greening,” direct payments to farmers who take environment protection measures. European consumers are asking for environmentally friendly agriculture, as well as food security and high-quality food products. Land is used by farmers to cultivate, but it is also a public possession of people as a whole. Q. Focus on environmental concerns seems … Continue reading

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【Series】 The Common Agricultural Policy after 2013 in EU: Part 1 (Nov. 13, 2013)

  EU’s agricultural policy faces pressure to change amid budgetary constraints and increasing number of member states Akihiko Hirasawa, chief researcher at Norinchukin Research Institute Co., said that until now, the European Union had been adjusting its Common Agricultural Policy scheme so that it would be consistent with the global trend to liberalize agricultural trade. But amid staggering negotiations under the World Trade Organization and rising prices of agricultural products in the global market, Hirasawa said the new CAP has undergone reform to focus more on the circumstances within the region, including environment, animal welfare, support for young farmers, fairness, consideration for taxpayers and strengthening negotiating power of farmers against … Continue reading

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【News】 Japanese agricultural minister and EU agriculture commissioner agree to cooperate on food security (Nov. 12, 2013)

  Dacian Ciolos, European Commissioner for Agricultural and Rural Development, held a meeting with Agricultural minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Monday, Nov. 11 during his visit to Tokyo, and pledged to cooperate with Japan to tackle food security issues under the Group of Twenty framework comprising major producers and consumers of food products. Hayashi called on Ciolos to work together so that agricultural ministers of the G20 industrialized and emerging market economies can hold a meeting next year, saying that food security issues should be discussed firmly on a ministerial level. Ciolos acknowledged the need to speed up global efforts to ensure food security, saying that he will cooperate with Japan … Continue reading

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【News】 Australian agricultural industry stuck on tariff elimination without exception (Nov. 8, 2013)

  Kika Yamauchi – Canberra The delegation of Japan Agricultural Cooperatives (JA) group to Australia met representatives of the Australian agricultural industry on Thursday, Nov. 11, and reasserted their concern that increase of imports would lead to decline in Japan’s food self-sufficiency rate. Duncan Fraser, President of the National Farmers’ Federation who attended the meeting along with 13 other officials representing associations of agricultural items, said they have told the Australian government that they do not accept exceptions in eliminating tariffs in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks. Other Australian officials also said that free trade would be beneficial for both sides concerning stable supply of food. In response, Hiromitsu Arasaki, … Continue reading

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