BRUSSELS, Nov 18: The European Commission will push for a substantial cut in cotton subsidies at key world trade talks in Hong Kong next month to help suffering African growers, a spokesman said on Friday.

The commission, which negotiates on behalf of the 25 EU member states, said it wanted the cuts to take place as soon as the Doha round of international trade negotiations was completed.

“Given the hardships and difficulties being experienced by African cotton growers, the EU is pushing for a wide-ranging agreement on cutting and eliminating the cotton subsidies from day one of the implementation of the Doha agreement,” said trade spokesman Peter Power.

“This must be part of a wider development package to be agreed at Hong Kong,” he said.

The commission said it was seeking to eliminate exports subsidies for cotton in developed countries and duty free access for cotton by all developed and advanced developing countries.

“As of 2006, 65pc of support for cotton farmers will be decoupled from production,” said Mr Power.

“In concrete terms, the EU has proposed the elimination of all forms of export subsidies for cotton for all developed countries, provision of duty free access for cotton imports by all developed and advanced developing countries and a substantial reduction of trade supporting domestic support for cotton producers in developed countries,” he said.

The WTO is to meet in Hong Kong from Dec 13-18 to try to agree the outlines of an international accord to cap the Doha Round negotiations launched in 2001 in the Qatari capital.—AFP