Revised texts on market access to be released today

DOHA ROUND OF WORLD TRADE TALKS

All eyes will be on the revised texts on agriculture and non-agriculture market access, which are likely to be released on Monday, to see how these issues are reflected in them.

As agreed in the Honk Kong Ministerial, the three indicative criteria of livelihood security, food security and rural development have to be taken into account while deciding on Special Products, a list of farm goods of developing countries like India on which there will be less duty cuts.

Developed countries have demanded that there should be no overlap between the indicative criteria and they should be dealt with separately.

"In countries like India and China, the border between food security and livelihood security cannot be demarcated. India has opposed the proposals to deal with the indicators separately," said the source.

In what is being seen as a deliberate negotiation strategy, developed nations are playing the card of transparency on getting data on the farm sector issues, which put the developing countries at a disadvantage.

"Agriculture is an unorganised sector in most developing countries and it is extremely difficult to get data," said a government official in the know of the negotiations.

What is worrisome in these latest state of affairs in Doha Round talks is that there could be a sudden decision to wind up talks. "Thus, developed countries could be put under pressure to accept compromises to bypass complexities," the source added.

Also, six major farm exporters and importers, known as Data 6