Undoubtedly, it was the intransigence of the European Union (EU) on the issue of farm subsidies that led to the failure of the talks. Surprisingly, the Cancun meet made no serious efforts to address the key issues related to agricultural trade.
Perhaps, the unusually hot summer in Europe and the spectre of drought this year made it more difficult for the EU to offer any tangible commitments. However, the EU did not make it any easier by taking the developing countries for granted.
Even so, rich countries have more options at their disposal. As the Cancun talks headed towards collapse, over two-thirds of Estonians voted in favour of joining the EU by May next year.
