EU foreign affairs ministers have agreed to submit European Commission proposals on farm aid reform to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for negotiation, diplomats said.
Ireland and France, initially wary about the executive proposals, rallied to the majority approval after obtaining guarantees and explanations, the diplomats said.
In December, the commission had sent the WTO reform proposals that included a 45 per cent cut in agricultural export subsidies, a 55 per cent reduction in aid for agricultural products, and an average reduction of 36 per cent on customs duties.
The measures, which were approved by European Union ministers today, are conditional on the adoption of equivalent moves by the United States.
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AFP