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| EU seeks key deal on fruit trade | EU seeks key deal on fruit trade |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Failure to agree on tropical fruit exports to the European Union would put a global trade deal at risk, the European Commission has warned. | Failure to agree on tropical fruit exports to the European Union would put a global trade deal at risk, the European Commission has warned. |
| EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said he would not block compromise proposals on the EU's controversial banana import tariffs. | EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said he would not block compromise proposals on the EU's controversial banana import tariffs. |
| He warned that if others did, then they would "assume a grave responsibility for the failure of the Doha Round". | He warned that if others did, then they would "assume a grave responsibility for the failure of the Doha Round". |
| Doha is aimed at enabling fairer trade between rich and developing countries. | |
| Mr Mandelson was speaking ahead of crucial negotiations between trade ministers, starting on Monday in Geneva. They are taking place under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO). | |
| The compromise proposals he mentioned were put forward by WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy, who has called on the EU to gradually reduce its banana import tariff to 116 euros (£92; $184) per ton by 2015, from 176 euros currently. The sharpest cuts would apply early on. | |
| Banana wars | |
| The WTO has repeatedly ruled in favour of Latin American banana exporters in a long-running dispute with the EU. They argue that the EU's preferential trade accords with poor African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries are discriminatory. | |
| Under Mr Lamy's compromise plan, Latin American governments would drop their legal challenges against the EU. | |
| Mr Mandelson said a successful conclusion to the Doha Round would "bring fresh confidence to the global economy, which is certainly in need of it". | |
| He was speaking at a joint news conference on Thursday with EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel, who said the EU would "need to deliver sacrifices", but "it's absolutely crucial that we see payback in other areas". | |
| "We'll need to push hard next week for the improvements we're looking for⦠Much will depend on the readiness of other players to show sufficient flexibility," she said. |