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ENB:09:58 [Next] . [Previous] . [Contents]

WORKING GROUP

The Open-ended Working Group on agricultural biodiversity met during the evening. Draft texts were tabled by the EU and the G-77 and China. The EU, supported by Sweden, stated that it could not accept the G-77 text as a basis for negotiation because it ignored the "useful work" of the SBSTTA. Canada, Mauritius, the EU, Norway, the UK and Australia proposed that the SBSTTA recommendations would serve as a sound scientific basis for the negotiations. Colombia, Brazil and Argentina preferred that the G- 77 text serve as a basis for negotiation, noting that SBSTTA recommendations could be brought in as "enrichments" to the final document once the political stage had been set by the COP. Delegates agreed to form a small drafting group, to be composed of a core of regional representatives, to consider both draft texts and the SBSTTA recommendations.