Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 May 2005
105 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, further to the economic partnership agreements being negotiated between the EU and the 77 ACP countries, if an effective safeguard mechanism will be put in place for ACP countries to use if faced with a surge of subsidised EU imports; and if the Government will take a position supportive of the ACP countries. [15790/05]
View answer106 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, further to the economic partnership agreements being negotiated between the EU and the 77 ACP countries, his views on whether the EU should take a non-mercantilist approach and not pursue any offensive interests. [15791/05]
View answer107 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, further to the economic partnership agreements being negotiated between the EU and the 77 ACP countries, his views on whether the EU should be prepared to provide an alternative to EPAs to any ACP country on request and that such an alternative should provide market access no worse than that already enjoyed under the Cotonou preferences. [15792/05]
View answer108 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, further to the economic partnership agreements being negotiated between the EU and the 77 ACP countries, his views on whether the EU should offer all ACP countries a period of 20 years or more for market opening on an unconditional basis. [15793/05]
View answer109 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, further to the economic partnership agreements being negotiated between the EU and the 77 ACP countries, his views on whether the EU should not force trade liberalisation on developing countries either through trade negotiations or aid conditionality. [15794/05]
View answer110 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs further to the economic partnership agreements being negotiated between the EU and the 77 ACP countries, his views on whether each ACP regional group should be allowed make its own decisions on the timing, pace and sequencing in line with individual countries’ national development plans and poverty reduction strategy. [15795/05]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 105 to 110, inclusive, together.
The EPAs, which are to enter into force by 1 January 2008, are a part of the legally-binding Cotonou Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific, ACP, states and the European Union, EU.
EPAs are intended first and foremost as instruments for development to foster the smooth and gradual integration of ACP states into the world economy, with due regard for their own political choices and their own development priorities, thereby promoting their sustainable development and contributing to poverty eradication. They combine trade and wider development issues in a unified framework, while taking account of the specific economic, social and environmental circumstances of each regional group and its component states. For instance, recent discussions between the Commission and the Southern African Development Community, SADC, which has many of the features of a customs union, focused on how those least developed SADC member countries would be affected by further trade integration under the EPAs. This overall approach addresses the particular concern of Ireland and other member states that development and poverty reduction should be the principal objectives of the EPAs.
As far as the impact of liberalisation of trade is concerned, I would draw the Deputy's attention to Article 37(7) of the Cotonou Agreement, which states that the negotiations on the EPAs:
shall take account of the level of development and the socio-economic impact of trade measures on ACP countries and their capacity to adapt and adjust their economies to the liberalisation process. Negotiations will therefore be as flexible as possible in establishing the duration of a sufficient transitional period, the final product coverage, taking into account sensitive sectors, and the degree of asymmetry in terms of timetable for tariff dismantlement, while remaining in conformity with WTO rules then prevailing.
As trade is a European Community competence, it is the European Commission which conducts the negotiations on the EPAs between the EU and six regional groupings of ACP states on behalf of the member states. The Commission provides the Council with regular updates on the progress of the negotiations. We are satisfied that the Commission is discharging its mandate in accordance with the provisions of the Cotonou Agreement and in a manner which is sensitive to the particular concerns of the ACP states. I note in particular, in the context of the further progression of EPA negotiations, Commissioner Mandelson's statement that he is putting the EPA process under continuing review, through a mechanism to ensure that at every stage in the negotiations the development dimension is put first.
Ireland is carefully following developments in the EPA negotiations process and will continue to do so. In discussions within the Council and its bodies, we will be insisting that the Commission take forward its negotiating responsibilities in accordance with the provisions of the Cotonou Agreement and in a manner which is responsive to the particular concerns of the ACP states.
