By KUNA,
London : EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has accused French President Nicolas Sarkozy of undermining him and Europe’s position at world trade talks.
Mandelson was speaking to BBC TV, late on Tuesday, after Sarkozy accused him of trying to force a trade deal on the EU that would undermine European jobs.
Sarkozy’s comments came just days after he said Mandelson had been a factor in Ireland’s referendum rejection of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty.
France took over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU yesterday.
Mandelson said he was “mystified” that the French President had blamed him over the Irish “no” vote.
“I am being undermined and Europe’s negotiating position in the world trade talks is being weakened and I regret that,” he said.
“It is very disappointing because the mandate on which I am negotiating in the world trade talks… has been agreed by all the member states,” he went on.
The British commissioner added “I regret that Sarkozy’s intervention last night will make it harder for me.” Sarkozy has accused Mandelson and the head of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Pascal Lamy of preparing to sell out European farmers in the name of free trade in the so-called Doha Round of trade talks.
The talks, which began in 2001, have repeatedly stalled over the amount of state aid given to key industries in Western countries.
Mandelson said food protectionism was “not going to feed the world’s hungry, ” and that the talks were “too important” to be allowed to fail.
Last Monday, Sarkozy said Mandelson and Lamy “want to make us accept a deal under which Europe would commit to cutting farm output by 20 percent and reduce farm exports by 10 percent.” “That would be 100,000 jobs lost, I won’t let it happen,” he added.
The French presidency of the EU was already off to a bumpy start even before Mandelson’s rebuke.
Yesterday, Sarkozy criticised Polish President Lech Kaczynski when he said he would not ratify the EU reform treaty.
Kaczynski said that to do so would be “pointless” after its rejection by the Irish.