Much of the struggle of Peter Mandelson, EU trade commissioner, to move the biggest stumbling block in the Doha round lies in getting the enthusiasm of Europe's goods and services exporters for new markets to outweigh French farmers' fear of losing subsidies.

Joining him around the negotiating table on Wednesday in Geneva will be four other men with a mixture of ambition and caution. The “five interested parties” the EU, US, India, Brazil and Australia forming the core negotiating group of the Doha round are intended to provide a range of different interests in the talks.