Frankrijk en Brussel lijnrecht tegenover elkaar over vrijhandelsbesprekingen (en)
France is leading a camp of member states that has slammed the latest proposals by the World Trade Organisation i (WTO) for a global trade deal, putting them in direct conflict with EU trade chief Peter Mandelson i.
"We think the conditions are less in place than ever for a [WTO] ministerial meeting to take place in June that would be in Europe's interests," Anne-Marie Idrac, France's junior trade minister, said on Monday (26 May), according to the Reuters news agency.
Her comments came directly after Mr Mandelson had given EU foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels, an overview of the state of negotiations following last week's proposals by the WTO.
She was backed up by Ireland's foreign minister Micheal Martin.
"The very clear imbalance in the present set of proposals makes them unacceptable to Ireland and to others," he said, according to AFP.
Mr Martin also poured cold water on Mr Mandelson's aim to get the WTO negotiations wrapped up quickly, before there is a change in administration in the US, with the current talks on liberalising global trade, known as the Doha round, now in their seventh year.
"Our view is you need substance. It's not about completing this just because there's six months left for the US presidency," said Mr Martin.
For his part, Mr Mandelson claimed that Paris and Dublin were very much in the minority.
"The view expressed that the conditions do not exist for the round to be concluded successfully was a very small minority view."
"Overwhelmingly, the view of the member states was that we must continue to negotiate hard in order to get a balanced outcome in the round," said the trade commissioner.
The Doha Round concerns how much access farm products from the developing world would have to European markets and how much the goods and services markets of poorer countries would be open to European companies.
France, with its large farming sector and its protectionist leanings, has long been a tough partner in the talks.
Meanwhile, for Ireland, which is concerned that a deal will affect its beef farmers, the issue has become tangled up in the debate ahead of the June referendum on the EU treaty.
Irish farmers have said they would only back the EU treaty if there is a guarantee that Dublin can veto the trade talks.
The European Commission recently intervened in the national debate to say that national capitals will maintain their veto in trade negotiations so long as they concern services, investment or intellectual property rights, which they now "almost always" cover.
The clock is ticking if the WTO talks are to be wrapped up before a new US president is elected in November.
A WTO ministerial meeting could be held in June or July to try and reach a breakthrough deal, which required unanimity from all countries at the table.