Moore optimistic

Press, 4 March 1988, Page 2

Moore optimistic

PA Wellington A ; ';. breakthrough in opening up world agricultural trade may be in sight by the end of the year; said the Minister of Overseas Trade and Marketing, Mr Moore. "I am becoming optimistic that we may be able to get something by the end of this year, and that would be a remarkable achievement,” he said at a*press conference yesterday on his return from a meeting of, the Cairns Group in Argentina. ”We are working very hard for a downpayment (on agricultural reform in G.A.T.T.) in December. “We are arguing for an end to export subsidies, we are arguing for an end to agricultural protectionism, and a logical phasing in of programmes,” he

said.; Mr Moore will fly to Lake' Constance in West Germany in a fortnight to attend the third meeting of the Cairns Group.; This informal “lobby’’ group of 14 agricultureproducing countries is trying to work out a combined approach to reform world agricultural trade for G.A.T.T. Mr. Moore hoped; the March meeting would put a case to an O.E.C.D. meeting in May, andjlater to a meeting of all 94 G.A.T.T. contracting countries at Montreal, Canada, in December. “As victims we have a lot; in common,” he said of i the forthcoming German meeting. f'The areas of copyright —j the Gucci label, Rolex watch — intellectual pro-

perty, the information industry, and services have not been ;covered firmly in G.A.T.T. or strongly enough iri terms of j surveillance oif penalties for those whoibreak the rules; so that isMhere we think we can a package,” Mr Moore said. I ; The Cairns Group has argued fqr a freeze, followed by reductions in global support for agriculture from next year, a reduction in production and '’export subsidies, immediate increases iri access oppdrtunities,; and agreement! on managing surpluses to avoid disrupting world Markets. ! If agreement ' was" reached jn time for the Montreal; f meeting in December;' it would be binding on all contracting countries, he said.