"Over four months ago, the United States put forward a comprehensive agricultural trade reform proposal, calling for elimination of export subsidies, cuts of $100 billion in annual allowed global trade-distorting domestic subsidies, and lowering of average allowed global tariffs from 62 percent to 15 percent.

"Any movement toward reform on agriculture is important, particularly from a large producer, exporter, and importer like the EU. In that regard, the Commission has made an effort to engage in the negotiations, and we will be studying this proposal carefully.

"The EC's proposal, while welcome, does not embrace fundamental reform in world agricultural trade. Therefore, we hope that the EC will seek changes in the Common Agriculture Policy early next year that will enable it to support more significant tariff and subsidy cuts in global agricultural trade through the Doha negotiations.

"We need to cut subsidies substantially and move away from distorting production. We need to slash tariffs. Without aggressive agriculture reform, Doha will be paralyzed."