As the world trading powers meet next week in Geneva to save the long-stalled Doha Round of global trade talks, a dispute within the European Union (EU), especially over farm subsidies, may disrupt the crucial bid.
The dispute has become a grave concern ahead of the final talks among EU economic ministers on Friday in Brussels to prepare for the Geneva meeting.
In a rare diplomatic occurrence last month, French President Nicolas Sarkozy openly accused EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, who represented the 27-nation bloc in the Doha talks, of offering too much in cutting EU farm subsidies before receiving reciprocal concessions from the rapidly developing countries.
The French president had even said Mandelson's weakness in the negotiations was to blame for Ireland's rejection of the EU's Lisbon Treaty.
Responding to the criticism, Mandelson told a press conference Thursday that it was not the first time in his career that he had been wrongly blamed.
The EU trade chief insisted there should be only one united position for the EU when he goes to Geneva for the crucial meeting next week even though different member states may have their own priorities.
"Of course there are different priorities and emphases among the member states," said Mandelson, "but when you arrive at a common trade policy, as we have, you do so in the knowledge that whatever the tensions, there is at the end of the day unity among the member states for the position that we have the responsibility for arguing and negotiating in Geneva."
The Geneva meeting, to be held on Monday and attended by around 30 leading World Trade Organization (WTO) players, was billed as the last chance to make a breakthrough and conclude the Doha Round talks within this year.
