starting with a new proposal from the us on October 10, 2005, agricultural negotiations in the World Trade Organization (wto) had a brief yet rare week of progress. The European Union came up with its own draft proposal, as did the g-20 group of countries. But stalemate followed.

Criticising eu trade commissioner Peter Mandelson, France's interior minister and Presidential contender Nicolas Sarkozy said the eu proposal would "put an end to Europe's status as an agricultural power'. France has also asked Mandelson to offer a new proposal.

Presented at a meeting of trade ministers in Zurich, the eu proposal came immediately after the us one. Both announced high cuts in farm subsidies (which harm developing country exports). However, Aileen Kwa of Focus on the Global South, a Thailand-based non-governmntal organization, felt if the new proposal went through, the us would still provide up to about us $23 billion of "trade-distorting' support. Of the eu proposal, trade analyst Peter Gallaghar said its proposed reduction in