PAF - ProActive File
Regular News Update From Eurostep

No. 246      Friday, 5 October 2001

Eurostep Home Page

1. NO CONCENSUS ON THIS WEEKS PREPARATORY MEETING BEFORE THE DOHA SUMMIT – DEVELOPING COUNTRIES HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN GAIN FROM THE NEW WTO TRADE ROUND

In Geneva, at a preparatory meeting ahead of the Ministerial Conference in Doha, the 147 member states of WTO did not succeed in reaching consensus on the confidence measures proposed to developing countries, in order to ensure that a new trade round negotiation will be launched at Doha. The discussions in Geneva were based on the so-called “draft agenda”; two texts tabled by the President of the General Council, the Ambassador of Hong Kong, Stuart Harbison (see PAF 245). The first text in the draft agenda places emphasis on the concerns of the developing countries in the areas of:

1)      Integration of small economies into the global system;

2)      The debt problems of developing countries and LDCs;

3)      The promotion of technology transfers;

4)      Technical cooperation and development of their trading capacity;

5)      Specific measures in favour of LDCs (the adoption of the integrated technical assistance framework);

6)      Special and Differentiated Treatment. 

The second text is devoted to the problems encountered by most developing countries in the context of the implementation of certain agreements and decisions.  Ahead of the Ministerial Meeting in Doha, EU Commissioner for Trade, Pascal Lamy has stressed that EU wants to stimulate a broad agenda, including a trade and investment liberalisation round “to meet the needs of developing countries and our exporters”. Furthermore, the trade round should be seen as a round that could define new rules, clarify existing rules and finally, define how the WTO fits in with other international institutions such as the ILO.

According to the Commissioner, the key to sustainable development for all countries is a combination of opening of markets and implementing multilateral rules. The Commissioner claimed that, although it has proven impossible to reach consensus on the conditions for launching the negotiations, the EU and the 77 countries of the ACP have made progress in their deliberations on the new trade round at the WTO. Nevertheless, the ACP group is still essentially concerned about the problems encountered implementing the agreements under the previous trade round, and finds itself in the situation of trying to figure out what is new and beneficial for them.

2. EU-BELGIAN PRESIDENCY CONFERENCE ON ACP COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY CONFLICT

The Belgian Presidency of the EU organised a Conference on improving EU responses towards crisis and conflict in ACP countries this week in Brussels. The Conference, aimed at examining what EU responses should be to situations involving ACP countries in conflict, was based on 6 case studies (Sudan, Somalia, Guinea-Bissau, Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo) prepared by ECDPM. About 200 participants attended the Conference from the EU and ACP, (both state and non-state actors).

         At a press conference during the meeting, Belgian State Secretary for Development, Mr Eddy Boutmans outlined of ideas coming from the Conference. These include the following:

§                           In conflicts involving different countries, EU cooperation should take account of the regional context;

§                           In principle, a constructive engagement policy is preferable to a policy of absence, ‘wait and see’ or sanctions

§                           There should be coherence between EU Member State actions and EC actions regarding interventions in conflict countries.

§                           Effective cooperation presupposes the use of a whole range of instruments including technical assistance, targeted financial aid and the sending of relief workers.

EU Development ministers at the EU Development Council will take up the conclusions of the Conference on 8 November 2001.

For further information on the Conference see: http://www.oneworld.org/ecdpm/en/events/01001/index.htmc

3. FORTHCOMING EVENTS

4. IN BRIEF

At a meeting this week, the EU and Mexico Government came to the conclusion that the free trade and association agreement, which was launched in July 2000, has worked successfully on its first year of existence. It was noted that during the last year, trade has increased by more than 25%. At the meeting Mexico also called for the EU’s financial and economic support for its “Puebla-Panama Plan ” which aims to improve infrastructure and create economic links between Mexico and the countries of Central America. The parties have agreed to meet before the EU-Latin American summit in May 2002.

The 6^th negotiating round over the free trade and association agreement between EU and Chile enabled the two parties to clarify their internal discord regarding fisheries, farming subsidies and financial subsidies. Regarding fisheries, Spain will insist on having access to Chilean water and ports, and it is therefore proposed that this issue will be linked to some type of investment programme. Also in the agricultural sector Chile have called for special treatment for the country’s sensitive products that are subject to export subsidies in EU.      

As preparations for the 6^th negotiating round on the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement to be held in Brussels from the 29 to 31 of October, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries, Franz Fischler, is going to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay from 6 to 16 of October. During his trip he will participate in bilateral meetings with the governments and representatives of the agricultural sector in order to “build up a momentum“, which can ensure the success of the agricultural negotiations in the framework of the new WTO negotiations.

  PAF List

Updated on 8 October 2001
Please address comments to (Guggi Laryea/Yvette Pierret)
Developer's Note: These pages were developed for use on the Netscape browser.