Vol. 567 No. 3
15 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the Government will support recent French proposals and favour a moratorium on agricultural export subsidies to sub-Saharan African countries pending the completion of the Doha trade negotiation round. [12368/03]
I am sympathetic to the spirit and objective of the French proposals. The proposals themselves acknowledge that developing countries are net importers of agricultural products from temperate regions and that they derive benefits from export subsidies on those products. Before proceeding, therefore, it is necessary to examine the impact of the proposals on each developing country and in relation to individual products. The French proposal is based on an acceptance of a moratorium on all forms of agricultural export subsidies by all exporting countries and not just the EU.
