I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 to 129, inclusive, together.
The legally binding Cotonou Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific, ACP, states and the European Union provides for the negotiation of economic partnership agreements, EPAs, between the parties. As trade is a European Community competence, it is the European Commission which negotiates the EPAs between the EU and six regional groupings of ACP states on behalf of the member states. The Commission provides member states with regular updates on the progress of the negotiations. The EPAs are to enter into force by 1 January 2008.
The EPAs are first and foremost instruments for development that will 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 in the ACP countries. 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. By enlarging ACP markets through regional integration and by making regulatory frameworks in these countries more transparent, EPAs can create an environment conducive to the private sector and thus function as a vehicle for long-term economic development.
According to Article 37/7 of the Cotonou Agreement 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.
While Ireland like the other member states does not participate in the ongoing EPA negotiations, we are satisfied that the Commission is discharging its mandate in accordance with these provisions of the Cotonou Agreement. It is clear from the most recent EU-ACP joint report of last October on the state of play of regional EPA negotiations that the process with the six regions is conducted with considerable concern for its impact on the economies of the ACP countries. As with all trade negotiations, the EPA negotiation has brought to light differences of approach between the parties in a number of areas. It is to be hoped that as the talks progress, these divergences can be resolved in accordance with the principles and objectives underlying the negotiations. However, I do not think that it is helpful for the success of the EPA project at this stage to suggest taking action at the WTO for a continuation beyond 2008 of the preferential access of ACP countries to EU markets.
In Ireland, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has primary responsibility for trade policy. An officer of that Department represents Ireland at meetings of the 133 committee. The committee normally meets once a month at the level of full members. An officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs also attends meetings of the committee on a regular basis.
Given the importance for Ireland of trade and trade relations with other countries, including those which are programme countries for Ireland's development co-operation programme, there is very regular and ongoing contact with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and other Departments including the Department of Agriculture and Food in preparing for meetings of the 133 committee and on questions relating to trade generally, including the EPA negotiations.
All of the programme countries in Ireland's bilateral aid programme — Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Timor Leste — are ACP states. Our underlying approach in those countries is complementary to that of the EPAs in that we are sensitive to the need to help build the economic infrastructure in these least developed countries, LDCs, so that they will be able to avail of an improving international trading environment. To that end Ireland works both with its partner governments and with other donor countries to ensure that there is a real focus on economic development, employment generation and on helping to equip our African partners to pursue access for their goods and progressively the means to avail of that access. On the aid side Ireland is achieving the UN target of 0.15% of GNP to LDCs.
Part of our overall engagement with the private sector in sub-Saharan Africa involves working to create a better climate for enterprise development and economic growth and involves efforts aimed at creating a more enabling international environment and improving coherence on trade and agriculture domestically. Finally, the level of detail being sought by the Deputy in relation to employment in particular industries in sub-Saharan Africa and other related details is not available to me.
