Written Answers. - Market Access.
Trevor Sargent
Ceist:
150
Mr. Sargent
asked the
Minister for Foreign Affairs
if his attention has been drawn to the United Nations' analysis which states that poor countries lose around 20 billion dollars a year due to an inability to export their food products; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[29159/01]
In his report to the UN Millennium Summit, in September 2000, the UN Secretary General pointed out that "global economic losses from agricultural protectionism may be as high as $150 billion per year – about $20 billion of it in lost exports for developing countries."
The EU has given an international lead in market access for the least developed countries through its so-called Everything But Arms initiative which was adopted by the Council in February 2001. This initiative opens the EU market, duty and quota free, to all exports, except armaments, from the 49 least developed countries. Under the initiative these countries will be able to export their food products to the EU market. The initiative came into effect immediately with the exception of transition periods for bananas, rice and sugar. For these three commodities, the EU market will be progressively opened with complete access for bananas by 2006 and for rice and sugar by 2009. The EU is the only trading bloc to offer such complete market access for the LDCs and is urging the US, Japan and others to follow suit.
The WTO rules governing market access for agricultural goods were discussed in the new global round of trade negotiations launched at the WTO Ministerial meeting in Doha, Qatar on 9-13 November. The Ministerial Declaration, adopted at Doha states, inter alia, in the section on agriculture: “building on the work carried out to date and without prejudicing the outcome of the negotiations,” we commit ourselves to comprehensive negotiations aimed at substantial improvements in market access.
Market access is one of a number of factors inhibiting developing country food exports. Many poor countries lack the trade capacity necessary to avail of the export opportunities which exist under current agreements. Trade capacity building in such areas as negotiating skills, implementing WTO agreements, port and customs reform, and trade promotion is required. Ireland Aid has tripled its support for such trade capacity building over the past three years. Together with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Development, we contribute $2.25 million, over five years, to the Advisory Centre on WTO Law, which helps developing countries to take cases at the WTO under its dispute settlement mechanism. We contribute $300,000 to the Integrated Framework, an effort by six international agencies – World Bank, IMF, UNDP, UNCTAD, ITC and WTO – to help build trade capacity in least developed countries. Ireland Aid also provides funding to the UN Conference on Trade and Development and to the International Trade Centre.
Many developing countries also face difficulties in complying with the complex provisions of the WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement. This agreement determines the rules for setting human, animal and plant health standards for imports. As part of its overall engagement in the area of trade capacity building, Ireland Aid is discussing with the WTO how we might support a WTO programme of capacity building in the implementation of the SPS agreement in least developed countries to ensure that they can obtain maximum advantage from the Everything But Arms initiative.
