The agriculture sector in the European Union will face "huge losses" if proposals go ahead which are now before negotiators in World Trade Organisation talks, Europe's main farm and cooperative groups have warned.
The EU's farm lobby COPA said a draft 'modalities' package circulated by the WTO last week could cost the 27-nation bloc 500,000 jobs and some €30 billion in losses annually.
The head of the organization representing Europe's cooperatives, COGECA, said the entire agriculture sector will be hit by the WTO proposals.
"There will be serious knock-on effects for the food sector and for employment," said Gert Van Dijk, COGECA president.
"The meat processing sector will be particularly badly hit and overall we estimate job losses of half a million at the very least. Nor will there be benefits for EU industry or services."
Trade and agriculture ministers from the WTO's 152 member governments are trying to agree on the framework for subsidy and tariff cuts in agriculture and industrial products before the end of this month.
Officials say they will then need until the end of this year to complete all details in the Doha Round talks.
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