Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy is launching a bid to restart stalled talks on a new round of global trade liberalisation negotiations

Date: 27/01/2000

Lamy said this week that the Commission was drawing up an “easily digestible agenda” to tackle some of the issues which had prevented trade ministers reaching agreement on a new round at last month's Seattle meeting. This would include many of the developing countries' concerns such as problems meeting commitments on intellectual property rights and investment issues, and minor questions relating to the WTO's operating procedures. Lamy said trying to achieve more far-reaching reforms could jeopardise efforts to launch a new round.