Paul Nicholas Gogarty
Ceist:85 Mr. Gogarty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his meeting on 28 March 2003 with the Rio-Group of Latin American states; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10117/03]
Written Answers. - Official Engagements.
Emmet Stagg
Ceist:97 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the matters discussed and conclusions reached at the recent meeting between EU Foreign Ministers and the Rio-Group of Latin American states. [9871/03]
John Perry
Ceist:120 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the role of the Rio-Group and of Mercosur; and the state of relations between the EU and these organisations. [10029/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 85, 97 and 120 together.
As part of the institutionalised political dialogue commitments which the European Union has with third countries and regional groups, a series of ministerial meetings with Latin American countries and groups took place in Athens on 27-28 March 2003. On 27 March, separate meetings took place with Mexico, Chile, the Andean Community and Mercosur; followed on 28 March by the 11th regular meeting between the EU and the Rio Group, attended by Foreign Ministers from the EU and all of Latin America.
Mercosur – the Southern Cone Common Market – was founded by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay in March 1991 with the ambitious goal of creating a customs union and ultimately a common market between the participating countries. Mercosur represents a market of 200 million people and a joint GDP of more than US $1 trillion, which places it among the four largest economic blocs of the world after NAFTA, the EU and Japan. In 1996, Mercosur signed association agreements with Chile and Bolivia establishing free trade areas with these countries, who have associate status. A free trade agreement is currently under negotiation with the Andean Community.
The European Union is Mercosur's main trade partner, source of direct investment and aid donor. At present, EU-Mercosur relations are based on the 1995 EU-Mercosur Inter-regional Framework Co-operation Agreement, the objective of which is to strengthen existing relations between the parties and to lay the groundwork for the creation of an inter-regional association agreement. In June 1999, the EU and Mercosur announced the start of negotiations on such an agreement. The first round took place in November 1999. Progress has been relatively slow. The ninth round of negotiations took place from 17-21 March 2003 in Brussels and the next round is expected to take place in Asunción from 23-27 June 2003.
The ministerial meeting between the EU and Mercosur, with Bolivia and Chile, on 27 March 2003 was held in the framework of the 1995 Framework Co-operation Agreement, which established the principles, the objectives and the mechanisms of political dialogue. The agenda included discussions on regional integration, EU-Mercosur negotiations for an association agreement, strengthening of EU-Mercosur political co-operation in international fora, and major international issues. The Mercosur side briefed the meeting on their efforts to step up their regional integration, in particular through the possible establishment of a regional parliament, consolidation of the customs union, and a strengthening of the social dimension of Mercosur.
In view of the similar positions held by EU member states and Mercosur on important issues on the international agenda, it was decided to intensify efforts for the co-ordination of positions before the next UN General Assembly. Ministers also reaffirmed the central role of the United Nations for the peaceful resolution of conflicts. As regards the EU-Mercosur negotiations, both sides reiterated their common objective to make rapid progress and to conclude the negotiations as soon as possible.
The permanent mechanism of political consultation and co-ordination, also known as the Rio Group, was created in 1986 in Rio de Janeiro. The early members of the group were Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, as well as a representative from CARICOM, the Caribbean Community. In June 2000, the Central American states of Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua joined the Rio Group. The major objectives of the group are to expand and systematise political co-operation between the participating states; to co-ordinate common positions on international issues; to present appropriate solutions to the problems and conflicts affecting the Latin American region; and to explore jointly new fields of co-operation which enhance economic, social, scientific and technological development.
The Rome Declaration of 1990 formalised relations between the EU and the Rio Group and provided for annual meetings – traditionally held during the first Semester – between the Foreign Ministers of both sides, except in those years when an EU-Latin America-Caribbean Summit is taking place. EU Foreign Ministers and their Rio Group counterparts also meeten marge of the UN General Assembly in the autumn. At the EU-Rio Group meeting on 28 March 2003, Ministers discussed relations between the two entities, major international issues and the question of social cohesion in an increasingly globalised world. The meeting welcomed the progress recently achieved in establishing closer relations between the two regions, including the implementation of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement and of the Interim EU-Chile Association Agreement, as well as the progress made to date in the EU-Mercosur negotiations. In addition, Ministers welcomed the recent adoption by the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council of two decisions authorising the Commission to open negotiations with Central America and the Andean community for the conclusion of political dialogue and co-operation agreements. They took note of the decision to hold the first round of negotiations in both cases in May 2003.
With Irish support, the meeting emphasised the importance of developing programmes to improve social cohesion, a topic which is likely to feature prominently in advance of the third EU-Latin America – Caribbean summit, to be held in Mexico during the Irish EU Presidency in the first half of 2004.