RESOLUTION(1)

on the WTO Millennium Round of negotiations

The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,

- meeting in Nassau (Bahamas) from 11 October to 14 October 1999,

- having regard to its preceding resolution on the WTO,

A. whereas the trade objective of the Lomé IV Convention is to promote trade between the ACP and the Community taking into account their respective levels of development and also between the ACP States themselves,

B. is of the view that the next Lomé Convention should duly take into account the need of supporting the liberalisation of North/South trade and assist the ACP countries to cope with international competitiveness,

C. whereas the main objective of the free trade economy is the ultimate eradication of poverty,

D. whereas openness to the outside market can play a central role in the development transformation,

E. whereas according to the World Bank abolition of agricultural export subsidies and the achievement of sharp cuts in import tariffs would benefit most developing countries,

F. recognizing that the ACP States, with few exceptions, are net-food importing, developing, least-developed, land-locked or island States wirh articular economic and social difficulties and which rely only on a few commodities for their socio-economic development,

G. whereas much of the gain from reducing trade barriers might be associated with expansion of the South-South trade,

H. whereas reduction of trade barriers may also help in fighting corruption and strengthening good-governance,

I. whereas trade preferences are not in themselves sufficient to strengthen the ACP countries' trade capacities,

J. alarmed by the fact that indiscriminate enforcement of WTO rules and obligations could cause serious disruptions in the economies of the ACP countries,

K. whereas most of the ACP countries suffer from higher economic volatility, weaker social safety nets and more fragile financial sectors and it is imperative that future liberalisation be carried out in view of strengthening these areas rather than weakening them,

1. Believes that developing countries stand to gain from further progressive liberalisation of trade in agricultural products, manufactured goods and services;

2. Believes that openness to the outside market can play a central role in the development of the ACP countries and invites the Commission and the ACP-EU Council to introduce in the new Lomé Convention provisions to strengthen ACP economies and their competitiveness in the world market;

3. Stresses the importance of adopting a flexible and open position within the WTO in order to consider the implementation problems encountered by the various countries on an individual basis with a view to finding appropriate and satisfactory solutions for the ACP countries' development prospects;

4. Calls on the Commission and the EU to ensure that in the forthcoming WTO round, binding commitments are made to implement adequately the Marrakech decision in favour of LDCs and net food-importing developing countries and for technical and financial assistance to be provided by international institutions to improve agriculture productivity;

5. Calls on the Council to adjust the present Common Agricultural Policy in order to make the European market more accessible to ACP products;

6. Urges the Commission and the ACP governments to particularly emphasise the role to be played in the trade liberalisation process by private small companies, private investors and civil society actors and to set up and implement specific programmes assisting them;

7. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, the Commission and the WTO.

(1) Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 14 October 1999 in Nassau (Bahamas).