WRITTEN QUESTION E-3881/97 by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) and Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission (5 December 1997)

Subject: Green Paper on ACP-EU relations

The Commission has published a Green Paper on relations between the European Union and the ACP countries on the eve of the 21st century - challenges and options for a new partnership (COM(96) 570 final).

The Lomé Convention has provided the framework for trade and aid between the EU and the ACP countries, now numbering 71, since 1975. It has been overhauled every five years to adjust it to economic and political developments, introduce cooperation instruments and set fresh priorities. The last revision took place in 1995. The Fourth Lomé Convention, currently in force, expires on 29 February 2000 and the negotiations between the contracting parties are due to start 18 months beforehand, in other words in September 1998. By then the EU must be in a position to set out its views clearly.

Community cooperation has made a considerable contribution to many ACP countries and has undoubtedly helped improve the living conditions of their populations. On the eve of the 21st century, relations between the European Union and the ACP countries need to be placed on a new footing, taking account not only of changed political and economic conditions for development but also of changed attitudes in Europe.

Will the Commission ensure greater efficiency and transparency in the procedures for managing this policy, both in the European Union and vis-à-vis the ACP authorities?

Joint answer to Written Questions E-3879/97, E-3880/97, E-3881/97 and E-3882/97 given by Mr Pinheiro on behalf of the Commission (28 January 1998)

The concrete answer to the Honourable Member's question is yes. The Commission will vary its approach: procedures and priorities for cooperation will be matched to the partner country's level of development, its needs and its long-term development strategies. Special attention will be paid in this context to the least advanced, landlocked and island countries.

On the basis that deep thinking was needed about the future relations of the Community with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, and that the forthcoming expiry of the Lomé Convention was the occasion for it, the Commission published last year a Green Paper on relations between the European Union and the ACP countries on the eve of the 21st century - Challenges and options for renewed partnership ((COM(96) 570. )). The Commission used the Green Paper, in which the main issues and options for the future were identified, as the basis for an extensive public debate which gave rise to a large number of contributions and events - seminars and consultative meetings organised at the Commission's initiative, spontaneous initiatives by non-governmental organisations, associations, private-sector representatives and trade unions, and debates in Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee.

On the conclusion of this consultation process, and having regard to the suggestions made and opinions stated throughout the debate, the Commission put up a policy paper ((COM(97) 537. )) intended as a basis for negotiating directives.

Regarding the geographical scope of the future agreement, the Commission proposes maintaining the comprehensive coverage of the Convention while introducing the principle of differentiation to the Commission, the resolve to maintain solidarity displayed by the ACP group partners in the course of the debate - confirmed at the Libreville summit of ACP Heads of State - must be respected. On the other hand, it appears desirable to introduce the principle of differentiation based on the partners' regional specificities and their prospects for regional integration, and on each partner's level of development.

With regard to economic and trade relations the approach proposed by the Commission has three objectives: to help the ACP countries to integrate gradually into the world economy in terms of trade and private investment flows; to strengthen Europe's presence in the ACP economies; and to invite the ACP countries to cooperate with the Community in international economic and trade negotiations.

Against that background, consideration of two kinds appear to be paramount: firstly, to take account of the political will for regional integration on the part of the ACP States; secondly, to adapt the approach to the situation of the least advanced countries, for which the unilateral preference scheme must be retained - even improved - under the action plan adopted by the World Trade Organization at Singapore.

In order to attain these objectives, regionalised agreements could be a solution, either in the form of economic partnership agreements aimed at gradually introducing free-trade areas, in compliance with the World Trade Organization and the common agricultural policy; or, temporarily, of economic cooperation agreements consolidating the ACP countries' access to the European market and introducing an element of reciprocity for European exports to ACP markets. These agreements would include provisions for developing cooperation in trade-linked fields.

With regard to the practice of financial and technical cooperation the keywords in the Green Paper where the effort to achieve effectiveness, simplification and differentiation. The same principles were taken up by the Commission in its policy paper, which proposed a thorough-going review of practical procedures for implementing financial and technical cooperation in order to give the system more effectiveness and greater flexibility in the face of rapidly changing needs. The future convention must also allow more scope for decentralised operators. The Commission is proposing, in particular, that the number of instruments is reduced and the central role of programming, and hence of dialogue on policies, is restored.

The debate on the objectives and priorities of Community cooperation policy has led the Commission to propose that cooperation should be refocused on the objective of the fight against poverty as part of an integrated approach combining as factors: economic growth, the social and environmental dimensions, and the institutional aspects of development. A close link will also have to be forged between a strengthened political dimension and cooperation; in this context the prevention of violent conflicts and the need to address their underlying causes may also affect priorities for actions. These actions, which cannot be exhaustively listed a priori, will accord with three priorities: support for growth, competitiveness and employment factors; the social and cultural dimension; and regional integration. Three horizontal or general principles are also being laid down: capacity building, particularly of institutions; integration of gender issues and the reduction of sex inequalities and the principles of conservation of natural resources and the environment.