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After missing several deadlines, the European Union and the United States will likely continue trade negotiations through the summer, according to Adam Sharp, OFBF director of national affairs.

However, with each passing day there's less chance that they will reach an agreement that will clear Congress before the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) expires in July 2007, he said.

That authority allows the president to present trade agreements to Congress for a simple yes or no vote. Without TPA, Congress would be able to negotiate specific aspects of trade agreements, making it extremely difficult to pass anything, Sharp said.

In the past six months, very little progress has been made between the United States and the EU.

"Neither the U.S. or EU have been willing to move on issues such as market access and agreements to reduce domestic subsidies," Sharp said.

In late May, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Peter Allgeier said small improvements to EU's agriculture market access are not acceptable under the Doha Round of trade talks.

"In the July 2004 framework, we all agreed to ‘substantial improvement in market access.’ This isn’t a U.S. requirement; it is the Doha requirement, and what will lead to global growth and development," he said.

Sharp said Farm Bureau's position is still supporting "fair, increased, real market access" prior to rewriting the farm bill.

Farm Bureau has offered its support of recently-appointed U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab who replaced Rob Portman in June.

"Enhanced market access for U.S. farm goods remains the benchmark by which we will measure any trade offer, and we are confident that Ambassador Schwab will deliver the firm message that U.S. agriculture has put its best WTO offer on the table," said Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.