WRITTEN QUESTION E-1285/98

by Gerardo Fernández-Albor (PPE) to the Commission

(29 April 1998)

Subject: Development of instruments for association with Latin America

Having recognized that the European Union must strengthen its capacity for collective action in the field of external relations and thus meet the growing public demand for greater unity, cohesion and efficiency in the service of peace, the Commission has included among its political priorities for the current year the need for special consideration to be given to relations with Latin America through the development of association instruments.

Given the importance of the European Union's relations with Latin America, this proposal is of great interest from the point of view of making an effective assessment of the European Union's political priorities for the present year.

Will the Commission say what prospects exist for development of association instruments with Latin America during the current year and how it expects the instruments to be developed?

Answer given by Mr Marín on behalf of the Commission

(29 May 1998)

The forging of closer links between the Community and Latin America is one of the Community's external policy priorities, as set out in the Commission paper "The European Union and Latin America: the present situation and prospects for closer partnership 1996-2000"(1).

The process of forging closer links is being carried on both at political and trade level and in the sphere of cooperation. At political level, in addition to the ministerial meetings with the San José Group and the Rio Group, institutionalisation of dialogue with the various regional groupings should also be noted. This year has seen the ministerial conference between the Community and the San José Group (San José, 10 February 1998), which stressed the need to study ways of increasing and diversifying trade and investment by both parties, where applicable by adjusting the framework within which trade is conducted, the Community/Rio Group ministerial meeting (Panama, 11-12 February 1998), which recorded substantial progress concerning the organisation and preparation of the Community/Latin America and Caribbean summit of Heads of State or Government in 1999, and the consensus reached on the question of consolidating the CEFIR (Training Centre for Regional Integration). Another important ministerial meeting was that between the Community and the Andean Group (Panama, 12 February 1998), which provided for the forthcoming entry into force of the framework agreement between the Andean Community and the European Community which will strongly reinforce cooperation between the two groups.

On the sidelines of the Panama meeting, other ministerial meetings have taken place involving the various regional groupings and countries: for example, the Community/Mexico meeting was the first in the process of political dialogue planned under the agreements signed by the Community and Mexico on 8 December 1997; the Community/Chile meeting was primarily concerned with implementation of the framework cooperation agreement between the Community and Chile aimed at establishing, ultimately, a political and economic association; and, lastly, the Community/Mercosur meeting reaffirmed the mutual interest in strengthening existing links particularly in the fields of trade, investment and cooperation. These meetings demonstrate the current dynamic state of relations between the Community and Latin America. The Commission also participates in institutional support and moves towards greater democracy in the region.

In the sphere of trade and regional integration, the measures currently in hand to develop the framework agreements with Mercosur, on the one hand, and Chile, on the other, have the ultimate aim of establishing interregional association agreements, implementing the interim agreement and the proposal for a directive for a supplementary negotiation mandate as envisaged in the agreement with Mexico on political and trade consultation; further current measures include renewal of the Andean scheme of generalised tariff preferences, the specialised dialogue on drugs, the fifth high-level economic and trade meeting of the Community/Rio Group (6 May 1998) and the London Business Forum (25-27 May 1998) with the Andean Group.

In the sphere of development cooperation, Community aid accounts for the largest share (62 % of the total) of all official development aid received by Latin America. The cooperation strategy seeks to bolster economic reforms and improve international competitiveness, not forgetting the programmes to combat poverty and marginalisation. Lastly, the Community has been highly involved in interdependent areas such as the environment, drugs, population, science and technology, and culture.

The procedure for presentation to the Council's DC/LAA Committee (developing countries of Latin America and Asia) of multiannual guidelines by country has been set in train. These guidelines will specifically define the priority objectives for the Community's cooperation with the Latin American countries.

(1) COM(95) 495 final.