French manoeuvring in recent weeks blocked Peter Mandelson, the EU trade commissioner, from making sufficient concessions on agricultural protections to satisfy his counterparts in the current Doha round of world-trade negotiations.

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Mr Sarkozy singled out Peter Mandelson, the EU trade commissioner, for alarming Irish (and French) farmers with talk of cuts to EU tariff barriers.

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Meanwhile, Dominique Bussereau, the French agriculture minister, has circulated a petition among EU member states calling for Peter Mandelson, the Union's trade commissioner, to hold off on making any concessions until he consults with the national governments.

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