WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/AG/NG/W/175
9 April 2001
(01-1792)
Committee on Agriculture
Special SessionOriginal:  English
SEVENTH SPECIAL SESSION OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE
26-28 MARCH 2001
Statement by Hungary
Looking back to the first phase of the agricultural negotiations just concluded we consider
that it can safely be said that the negotiating process went on rather smoothly, perhaps unexpectedly
smoothly, and the aim of this phase has been fully accomplished.  On the basis of the proposals
submitted by a wide spectrum of the membership the agenda of the negotiations has been clearly set,
thus we can enter the second phase of the negotiations as foreseen.
One of the striking features of the negotiations so far is the extremely high degree of
participation by Members in the negotiating process both through tabling negotiating proposals as
well as expressing their views on those submitted by others.  It was striking to see 47 submissions
tabled individually or jointly by Members represen ting almost the entire WTO-membership, including
economies in transition.  We believe that this is a very significant development since it will enable us
to shape the agricultural reform process in a way th at ensures that the interests and concerns of the
entire membership are adequately taken into account.
If there is one lesson we can draw from the proposals we have examined and the discussions
we have had during the first phase of the negotiations and which will be important to bear in mind
during the subsequent phases is the wide diversity of agricultural situations world-wide.  We firmly
believe that while guarding against the fragmentation of the multilateral disciplines, this diversity
should find its proper reflection in the new disciplines more strongly than it is presently the case.  This
relates equally to trade and non-trade concerns.  Otherwise the new agricultural trading system we arein the process of establishing might become more market-oriented, but certainly not fair enough
which would be clearly contrary to the long-term objective of the reform process.  In order to prevent
this from happening a great deal of pragmatism and realism will be required from every Member.
Though we believe that on the basis of our mandate contained in Article 20 of the AoA, the
results of the first phase and the work programme to be agreed during this session the agriculturalnegotiations can continue to proceed smoothly we equally believe that to place them within the
framework of a sufficiently broad-based new round of multilateral trade negotiations would have
significant positive implications on the speed and the depth of the reform process.  Therefore we
strongly hope that ongoing efforts will lead to a de cision to this effect by Ministers later this year.
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