BRUSSELS. Dec 11: French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe blasted EC negotiator Leon Brittan's handling of GATT trade talks Friday and accused him of exceeding his mandate on protection for Europe's film industry, reports AFP.
Juppe told reporters outside the EC summit here that the 'Hollywood lobby is threatening the Uruguay Round" of talks under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) as they raced to meet Wednesday's deadline.
He complained of a "total absence of transparency" in the Geneva discussions and said he was unable to find out Brittan's latest position.
"1 know what his mandate is and it is coming back to me by various channels that the discussions are taking a turn that is without doubt decidedly different." the chief French diplomat said.
He said he had written to Brittan, who was to fly to Geneva on Saturday, to remind him France and the other EC states wanted exceptional and separate treatment" for the audio-visual sector to preserve their subsidies and quotas.
The American position has hardened considerably because the lobbies are at work. The Hollywood lobby is threatening the Uruguay Round." he said.
World trade talks
"For the audiovisual, if there is no agreement there is a simple solution and that is we don't speak about it anymore in GATT."
Juppe added th?t negotiations on a dispute over subsidies to European aircraft markers "had not advanced."
US considering compromise with EC
Another report from Washington adds: US Trade
Representative Mickey Kantor said yesterday that he was considering a compromise with the European Community over the stalled GATT free trade talks.
He would not reveal what was under consideration, but said he would discuss his ideas for a compromise with Sir Leon Brittan on Saturday.
Although Kantor said he was optimistic about the chances of concluding the Uruguay Round
of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), he warned that the European Community would have to agree to removing barriers to audiovisual products something strongly resisted by France in particular.
"We are not going to have a Uruguay Round without addressing this sector." he said.
He also warned that Washington would not sign the accord if it did not include antidumping legislation.
Nationwide protest in South Korea
AP from Seoul says: More than 5,000 farmers, dissidents and students nationwide on Saturday protested government plans to ease the ban on foreign rice and demanded the resignation of President Kim Young-sam.
In spite of his campaign pledge to keep the rice market closed. Kim proposed a partial opening during a nationally televised speech Thursday.
The move came in response to pressure to lift the ban to help conclude talks aimed at liberalizing world trade. Many blamed US pressure, adding to anti-American sentiment here.
Protesters waving colorful banners marched in the streets after the rally, causing grid-locked traffic for blocks.