Following the breakdown in negotiations on July 24, Pascal Lamy cast a spell, and put the Doha Round negotiations into an enchanted sleep: The "Sleeping Beauty" option (Ben Muse, July 24).
There's lots of talk now about how to wake them up. The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development newsletter Bridges reports: Governments Exploring How To Restart Doha Round Talks (August 2)
Here's one scenario:
Following talks in Rio de Janeiro from 27-29 July, Schwab and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said that they were both committed to arriving at a far-reaching Doha Round agreement.
The US trade envoy, who will meet counterparts from around the world over the next few months, suggested that striking a deal in the next five to eight months remained possible. She said that she hoped to have a framework agreement ready by early 2007, which she could use to try to persuade Congress to extend the Bush administration's trade promotion authority. Due to expire at the end of June 2007, this mandate allows the administration to negotiate trade agreements and submit them to Congress for a take-it-or-leave-it vote. A short-term extension is thought to be more achievable than a wholescale renewal, particularly if an accord looks likely.
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