EU governments have given their formal backing to former Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy as Europe’s candidate to head the Geneva-based World Trade Organisation (WTO). The 57-year-old French Socialist will compete for the job against a Brazilian, a Mauritian and a Uruguayan, it is expected, to succeed the current WTO Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi, from Thailand.

Lamy is credited with helping keep global trade liberalisation negotiations on track and driving reform of the EU’s hugely expensive farm subsidies regime. The 148 member WTO General Council should decide on a new chief by the end of May, to take office in September for a four-year term.

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