French President Jacques Chirac has written to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso to complain about the direction of world trade talks, a source in his office said on Thursday, according to Reuters. The letter is Chirac's second clash with the EU executive in less than two weeks. Last week he accused the Commission of failing in its duty to defend European interests and jobs. Global pressure on the European Union to cut farm subsidies as part of world trade talks is a sensitive issue in France where agriculture contributes substantially to the economy and provides employment in rural areas. The French government has already clashed over agricultural subsidies with Britain as part of negotiations over the EU's long-term budget. "We need a change of direction in the negotiation so that we can return to the spirit of the Doha round (of trade talks) and so that we end up in 2006 with a balanced agreement that is acceptable to France," the source said Chirac had written. Chirac sent the letter, which was not an official complaint, on Wednesday. "What the president is asking for is for the negotiations to take place transparently and in consultation with the member states," the source said. The EU and the United States presented fresh proposals to cut farm tariffs and slash agricultural subsidies in rich countries on Monday. The EU offered a 70 percent reduction in trade-distorting farm subsidies, largely in line with a reform already agreed by member states, plus cuts of at least 50 percent in its highest farm import tariffs and tighter controls on the amount of "sensitive" goods it protects most. The United States said it was disappointed with the proposal by Brussels. On Tuesday, French Trade Minister Christine Lagarde accused EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson of overstepping his mandate with the EU's latest offer.
