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E.U. Gets Blame for Impasse

It was the European Union vs. the Rest of the World as global trade talks remained deadlocked Thursday, with the EU defending itself from a barrage of criticism that its refusal to further open its farming markets threatened to torpedo the entire World Trade Organization meeting. The WTO bases its decision on consensus, and the agreement of each of its 149 members is required on any deal.

Poor nations say that as a part of a global free-trade deal, the EU, U.S. and other rich nations must cut their farm subsidies and tariffs that block developing countries` access to those lucrative markets. Chile`s foreign minister, Ignacio Walker, blasted the EU`s farm subsidy program, which critics say totals up to $110 billion a year. Walker said that works out to about $2 a day for each cow. "So many poor people wish they would be at least as well off as an EU cow," Walker said.

European nations say they have already offered generous cuts in agricultural programs, including an average cut 46 percent on farm tariffs, and that developing countries, particularly Brazil, India and China, need to counter with offers to lower their trade barriers to services and manufactured goods.