World Trade Organisation chief Pascal Lamy urged the European Union and the United States on Friday to make concessions on agriculture to achieve a breakthrough at global trade talks, according to Reuters. "Both need to make efforts, and that is the issue that will allay the concerns of many developing countries who want freer trade -- and things will be a lot better," Lamy told French LCI television. The EU came under pressure from the United States and Australia on Thursday to offer more farm concessions at the negotiations, which major players say now risk collapse before a key WTO meeting in Hong Kong in December. EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has said he is ready to move on agriculture but the talks had to include other areas, such as progress on industrial goods and services. But France has criticised his tactics and accused him of overstepping the negotiating mandate he has been given by member states. Paris says he has offered too much on agricultural issues such as market access. Lamy said it would be inappropriate for him to comment on the relations between negotiators and European governments. Both the United States and Australia say any new EU offer on tariff cuts would have to be pitched between a U.S. proposal for up to 90 percent cuts and a call by the G20 developing country alliance for average tariff reductions of just over 50 percent. The EU has said it could go over 50 percent only on its top tariffs and wants a wide number of exceptions from the cuts.
