Representatives from European NGDOs (Eurostep, the Transnational Institute - TNI, Oxfam-GB, Solagral, Women in Development Europe - WIDE and International Alert) exchanged views with the ACP Committee of Ambassadors and ACP Secretariat on a number of issues, concerning the Lomé process, at a meeting at the ACP House in Brussels on Wednesday 29 July. The topics on the agenda were: the broad political framework in which the ACP-EU negotiation will take place; ACP-EU trade and investment; agricultural trade; aid; gender issues; and conflict prevention.
In his opening remarks, the Chair of the Committee of Ambassadors, H.E. Mr. Kakima Ntambi, the Ambassador of Uganda, announced that the Committee had finalised the ACP Draft Negotiating Guidelines with the EU on the next ACP-EU agreement. This, he said, will be approved by the ACP Council of Ministers shortly.
On the political framework, Mr. Phil Bloomer, representing Oxfam, said the negotiations for the new agreement presented a particularly opportune occasion to set the vision for sound development co-operation between the ACP and the EU. The reasons being that: a) the new agreement was likely to run over a course of 20 years, thus freezing the broad terms of co-operation between the two parties for the aforementioned period; b) with the likely advent of the accession of Eastern and Central European countries, the ACP had to campaign for the agreement to be set on a sound developmental footing before the forthcoming members, who by all accounts are less interested in development co-operation with the ACP, push the Union in other directions; c) the ACP can now capitalise on the current crop of European social democratic prime ministers such Tony Blair and Lionel Jospin, whose parties are more sympathetic to development co-operation; and d) the Lomé agreement could set the agenda for the forthcoming WTO round of negotiations to influence international trading rules in favour of developing countries. Mr Bloomer added that the ACP and the EU should not restrict their co-operation only to the Lomé process, but also work together in other international fora to set better international rules for development. He welcomed the creation of the ACP-EU Working Group on the WTO, as a point in case.
On EU aid to the ACP, Mr. Guggi Laryea representing Eurostep, outlined possible ways of improve EU aid as: making it more relevant to the needs of ACP countries, ensuring its implementation and preparation is more participatory (involving civil society organisations) and making sure that its focus is on poverty eradication through greater emphasis on intervention in the sectors of basic education and primary health-care. Among measures identified in making aid more relevant were, more consideration of the specific economic, social and cultural conditions prevailing ACP countries, and the granting of greater decision making powers to EU delegations in the ACP at the expense of their Brussels based colleagues.
Ms. Jo Brew, representing WIDE, said previous studies had shown that Lomé projects had done little to help the lot of women in ACP countries and in some cases had even increased their workload. She said though the Commission had promised to take on board the results of these studies, present proposals on trade, structural adjustment, inter alia, have not included a gender perspective. Ms. Brew said that ACP women's groups are demanding more gender analyses of the Lomé process. She added that both European and ACP women were now calling for the next Lomé agreement to include a fund to combat human rights violations, especially those that constitute violence against women and children.
The International Alert representative, Ms. Eugenia Pisa Lopez, said that though the relation between different economic models and conflict is very complex, trade and economic liberalisation can lead to economic instability which in turn could lead to political instability and conflict. She said that the new Lomé agreement should aim at political and economic stability as well strengthening legitimate institutions and preventing social exclusion.
In the ensuing discussions, a member of the Committee of Ambassadors pointed out that Free Trade Areas, FTAs, did not necessarily mean symmetrical reciprocity in trade between the two partners. He said that the ACP should not campaign against reciprocity on the whole but rather campaign for asymmetrical reciprocity where more ACP goods would be allowed in the EU market than vice-versa. The Ambassador for the East Caribbean States expressed his fear that in the NGO's campaign for aid to focus on poverty eradication, he sensed a slight attitude of paternalism whereby it was assumed that ACP countries would naturally not distribute the spoils of development fairly and hold them back for the elite. He emphasised that this was certainly not always the case.
2. US AND FIVE LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES CALL FOR RE-ACTIVATION OF WTO PANEL ON EU BANANA TRADE REGIME FOLLOWING DISSATISFACTION WITH EU REFORMS OF REGIME
The United States and five Latin American countries - Guatemala, Ecuador, Honduras, Panama and Mexico have called for the reconvening of the WTO arbitrary panel, which earlier on ruled against the EU banana trade regime, after dissatisfaction with the EU's efforts to reform the system. The above mentioned countries are of the view that the EU's reforms do not abolish the discrimination that was condemned by the WTO panel and that the regime still does not conform to WTO rules. The dissatisfied countries are thus asking the EU to state whether it is willing to accept the reconvening of the panel in a decision to be taken immediately or at the next meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body.
The Union is yet to respond but has previously declared that its reformed regime, which is supposed to enter into force next January, is fully compatible with WTO rules. If another third country voices disapproval of the EU 'system' it can introduce new proceedings before the WTO as soon as the revised system enters into force.
3. EUROPEAN EMPLOYERS ORGANISATION WELCOMES WTO AND WIPO's AIM TO HELP LDCs COMPLY WITH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RULES FROM 2000
Unice, the European employers organisation has welcomed the joint initiative of the WTO and the World International Property Organisation to provide technical assistance to developing countries to enable them to implement the WTO Agreement in intellectual property (Trips) from January 2000.
UNICE along with the International Property Committee of the US had previously issued a statement stating that the failure of a substantial number of developing countries to implement Trips will seriously call into question the viability of the WTO as an international organisation that can develop and enforce international rules without being overburdened by dispute settlement cases.
Negotiations on the agreement on intellectual property rights in the WTO should resume this year with demands to widen its access to more countries and improve its content.
4. IN BRIEF
The European Commission has un-blocked 6.9 million ECU destined for the European Community Humanitarian Office, ECHO, disaster preparation programme. The aim of the programme is to reduce the vulnerability of populations in regions where natural disasters are frequent, i.e. Central America and the Caribbean, South East Asia and Bangladesh.
5. NOTICE
The Proactive File (PAF) will be taking a summer break during the month
of August, due to the general lull in activities in Brussels. Thus the
PAF should next be out and about on Friday 4 September.