EU lays out plans for World Trade Organisation reform

The EU has laid out proposals for reforming the World Trade Organisation - and ways to counter market distortions.

The aim is also to persuade the US to stay a part of it.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom commented: "We agreed with some of the criticism the US has voiced vis-a-vis China, and some of their policies and we are trying to address some of it via WTO but we disagree with the methods the US is using to try to get China to adopt these new tariffs."

President Trump has threatened to pull out of the international trade body, and recently announced a hike in tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports.

The EU's now made a case for WTO negotiations to be more flexible, dispute settlements more transparent and to shrink trade costs.

The proposals will be presented to EU partners in Geneva on Thursday during a meeting called by Canada.