1. EUROSTEP PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS FOR A MORE COHERENT EU POLICY IN ADVANCE OF THE DEBATE ON THE ISSUE AT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
Eurostep have put out a brief paper advancing proposals on how EU policies that affect developing countries, could be made more coherent. The paper is intended as a contribution to the discussion on coherence of EU policies at the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg on 16 February. This discussion in the Parliament will include a presentation by the European Commission on its proposals on achieving coherent EU policies, and the adoption of a Parliament Resolution on the issue. Eurostep’s paper addresses the problem of incoherence at four levels: 1) the manner of adoption of new EU policies; 2) the implementation of existing policies; 3) the question of joint monitoring procedures with developing countries; and 4) the need for review of current EU policies.
Regarding the adoption of new policies, Eurostep call for, among other things, a) the employment of impact assessments of all Commission policies on developing countries, b) the establishment of an inter-service group on coherence with the responsibility for monitoring draft policy proposals. This group would be comprised of representatives from Commission Directorates whose policies affect developing countries such as Development, External Affairs, Trade, Enlargement, Agriculture, Fisheries, Enterprises, Environment and Tax and Customs Directorates.
On the implementation of existing policies, Eurostep call for the establishment within the Directorate for Development, of a special coherence office with the responsibility for monitoring the coherence of policies, their application with the development co-operation objectives and policies of the EU.
Regarding the review of current EU policies Eurostep propose that the EU Council request the Commission to review current policies and their implementation in order to identify areas that are inherently inconsistent with co-operation policies, and to bring forward proposals on how changes could be made to these policies to ensure coherence and consistency as required under the EU Treaty. On the basis of the Commission’s reviews and proposals for policy changes special joint Council meetings should take place between the Development Council and the relevant Councils.
You can find the paper under section "Publications" of this site and for the press release you can contact the Eurostep Secretariat. The PAF will also endeavour to provide more information on the issue in the coming weeks.
2. ACP-EU AGREEMENT
Further to the news provided in last week’s newsletter on the conclusions of the ACP-EU negotiations for a new framework agreement, the PAF can now provide more information.
It has been reported in the European press that the new ACP-EU Agreement will be signed on 31 May in Suva, Fiji. The present ACP-EU Agreement, i.e. Lomé IV bis Convention, expires at the end of this month. For the period in between the expiry date of the present Agreement and the next, the Commission is proposing the postponement of the application of the present Convention, with the exception of its trade provisions. The text covering the transitional period between present and future trade arrangements can already be applied. Between the 31 May 2000 and 2002 (the closure of ratification of the new agreement), the new agreement will be implemented without awaiting ratification procedures. However certain amendments directly imply undertakings of spending may not come into effect before the entry into force of the next financial protocol.
These proposals, along with an explanatory memorandum from the Commission, will be debated by the Permanent Representatives of the EU member states on 16 February in view of adopting an EU position on the issue. As mandated, the ACP-EU Joint Committee of Ambassadors will decide on 29 February on the intermediary measures that can enter into force following the expiry of the present Lomé Convention.
Following the negotiations, Philip Lowe, the European Commission’s chief negotiator has stated that during the eight-year preparatory period for new trade arrangements, the EU will support the establishment of administrative structures and the process for regional integration vital to the elaboration of regional economic partnership agreements.
On Cuba’s expected accession to the new agreement the EU Commissioner for Development, Poul Nielson, has stated that the parties have not received a formal request from Cuba for accession. However he stated that Cuba have always expressed the wish to examine the outcome of the negotiations first and apply formally for membership of the ACP group in the light of this examination.
Some observers close to the negotiations have expressed the view that the new Agreement seems to reflect the EU’s starting negotiating position much more than that of the ACP’s. According to one observer, “with the dismantlement of the export revenue stabilising instrument, the Commodity protocols (except for sugar) and the imminent end to non-reciprocal trade preferences, the ACP countries no longer have the unique place they occupied among EU trade and development partners. ACP countries will only continue to benefit from trade co-operation if the new trading arrangements enable them to capitalise on their comparative advantage and to benefit from opportunities offered by greater integration into the world economy”.
3. EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO EXAMINE REPORT ON REFORM OF ACP-EU JOINT ASSEMBLY
The European Parliament next week will examine the annual report on the work carried out by the Joint ACP-EU Assembly in 1999. The report underlines that the Joint Assembly is a genuine Parliamentary Assembly representing the peoples of ACP-EU countries. It calls for adequate provisions to enable the ACP delegations to be representative of the diversity of political opinions in their respective countries. The report also suggests the organising of regional meetings and assemblies catering for the six regions of the ACP. The regional assembles will transmit reports and recommendations to the plenary assembly that will meet twice a year.
4. ITALY TO EXPRESS RESERVATIONS ON EU-MEXICO AGREEMENT
According to the European press, Italy is set to express its reservations on the recently concluded EU-Mexico free trade agreement at the next EU General Affairs Council on 14 February. Italy’s reservations relate to: a) the rules of origin on textiles and footwear (Italy is protesting because it considers that Mexican reciprocity in this area is limited); b) the tariff quota of 30 000 tonnes of concentrated orange juice granted to Mexico (Italy had expected a quota of 8000 tonnes).
The General Affairs Council plans to adopt a declaration welcoming the result of the negotiations in January by the Commission. You may recall that Italy has also expressed reservations about certain aspects of the EU-South Africa Agreement. This has resulted in a confusion over whether the EU-South Africa Agreement can be fully implemented without Italy’s consent.
5. EUROSTEP SET UP DISCUSSION MEETING ON THE REALITY OF AID
The
Eurostep Secretariat will set up a discussion meeting on
the Eurostep publication - The Reality of Aid on 29
February in Brussels. The Reality of Aid is an independent
review of the official development co-operation programmes of the
member countries of the OECD’s Development Assistance
Committee. It is written from the perspective of NGOs from both
donor countries and developing countries. Eurostep and its
member organisations regularly produce chapters on EU Member
State and EC development assistance. The principal purpose of the
meeting is to present the chapter on EU development co-operation.
More information is available from the Eurostep
Secretariat.