Dr Frendo, who is also responsible for external trade and relations with International economic organisations such as WTO, expressed Malta’s satisfaction at the final framework document agreed upon (also referred to as the July package of the Doha Work Programme) together with concerns of other member states.

In his participation in Geneva in an informal session of the General Affairs and External Relations Council of the European Union, Dr Frendo gave his support to the general line of negotiations that the Commission was undertaking at that time and emphasised that together with other member states, Malta believed that in the final framework agreement, each member should have discretion to identify and protect certain existing products that are deemed sensitive to its agricultural sector.

It is understood that member states refrained from issuing any comments on the progress of the negotiations even when it was clear that an agreement would be reached so as not to prejudice the negotiating strength of the European Commission.

In External Trade matters such negotiations with the WTO, the European Commission has exclusive competence to negotiate on behalf of member states and therefore, the Commission carried out extensive consultations with the Council of Ministers on this matter.

Additional info on the WTO General Council’s decision, including full text of the post-Cancun decision, can be obtained from WTO website www.wto.org