International Egg and Poultry Review
By the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service - This is a weekly report looking at international developments concerning the poultry industry, this week looking at the EU's Draft agriculture budget for 2005, USDA Amends Import Regulations for Birds and Poultry from Regions with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Saudi Arabia Closer to WTO Accession.
Commission presents draft EU agriculture budget for 2005
The European Commission has presented its draft budget for the
2005 year. The total budget projects spending of €109.5 billion (bn), of
which €50.7 bn is for agriculture. This compares to a total 2004 budget
which is expected to be €99.8 bn in total, of which €46.8 bn was allocated
to agriculture.
The two main increases in agricultural spending
of €3.9 bn are the costs of the 2003 CAP reform which add €1.3 bn,
although Commission officials are reported as saying the bulk of this
increase is due to payments to the NMS (new member states). The
other main increase, €1.4 bn is for the first year of direct payments in
the NMS. It should be noted that these are currently only 25% of the
level paid in the EU-15, gradually rising to 100% by 2013.
Preliminary Draft 2005 Budget – Proposed Agricultural Spending | |||
Millions EUR | 2004 | 2005 | Change |
Milk | 2,959 | 3,901 | 942 |
Beef and Veal | 8,054 | 8,088 | 34 |
Sheepmeat | 1,530 | 1,840 | 310 |
Pigmeat/Eggs/Poultry | 175 | 197 | 22 |
The EU executive commission proposed abolishing agricultural export subsidies on the condition that key trading partners also reduce financial support for exports. The EU and the US have backed the elimination of export subsidies in principal, but they have disagreed on the details of ending government support for agriculture.
The EU's chief agriculture negotiator said the Union realized export subsidy elimination was one of the key issues for a number of countries and would have to be addressed before the Doha Round could move forward. Other WTO members countries need to address the use of export credits, food aid and state trading enterprises.
Representatives of some EU member states said the Commission would need their approval before making any concessions on ending export subsidies.
Source: BRIDGES Weekly News Trade Digest, USDA/FAS, various news wires.
USDA Amends Import Regulations for Birds and Poultry from Regions with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
On Mary 10 the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
announced it was amending the regulations concerning the importation
of animals and animal products to prohibit or restrict the importation
of birds, poultry, and unprocessed bird and poultry products from
regions that have reported the presence of the H5N1 subtype of highly
pathogenic avian influenza and to establish additional permit and quarantine
requirements for U.S. origin pet birds and performing or theatrical
birds and poultry returning to the United States.
This action is
necessary to prevent the introduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza
subtype H5N1 into the United States. February 4, 2004. We will
consider all comments that we receive on or before July 9, 2004.
Source: Federal Register/Vol. 69, No. 90/Monday, May 10, 2004/
Rules and Regulations, USDA/APHIS press release
Saudi Arabia Closer to WTO Accession
Following a round of accession talks in Geneva, Saudi Arabia — the
world’s largest oil exporter — said on 29 April that it hoped to finalize
negotiations to join the WTO by mid-June this year. “Roughly, we hope
to join the WTO before the end of 2004,” noted Saudi Arabian Deputy
Trade and Industry Minister, Fawaz al-Alamy. Saudi Arabia must fulfill
two conditions before it can join the WTO: its commercial laws must be
adapted to WTO rules; and it must conclude bilateral accords with any
Member that demands an agreement.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia
had signed a bilateral agreement with China, bringing the total number
of such accords to 31. The timing of its accession, however, still
depends on its ability to reach bilateral deals with the US, Indonesia,
Panama and the Philippines. The US warned that the mid-June target
might be a “bit tight,” as the US still wants to see changes to Saudi
Arabia’s financial services sector, intellectual property rights and
domestic fuel price discounts, opening up the sectors to competition.
In related news, Lebanon’s WTO accession is moving closer to reality.
“On the legislative level, we have an action plan. Most of the laws allowing
us to join the WTO are either already in the Parliament in the various
committees or on their way to the Parliament,” noted Fadi Makki, Director
General of the Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Trade in a 28 April
speech. He added that “The third round of negotiations, which will take
place in July, is expected to allow Lebanon to join the WTO” by early
2005.
Negotiators are focusing their efforts on certain Lebanese peak
tariffs in agricultural and industrial products.
Source: BRIDGES Weekly News Trade Digest
To view the full report, including tables please click here
Source: USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service - 11th May 2004