Joint Assembly of the Convention concluded between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Community (ACP-EU) - Resolution on the proposed EU-South Africa Free Trade Area Agreement
Date: 1996-09-26
Institutions: African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, European Parliament
Subjects: ACP-EU Joint Assembly, South Africa, development aid, free-trade agreement, trade agreement













EUR-Lex - 21997P0227(17) - EN






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21997P0227(17)

Joint Assembly of the Convention concluded between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Community (ACP-EU) - Resolution on the proposed EU-South Africa Free Trade Area Agreement  


Official Journal C 062 , 27/02/1997 P. 0044 - 0045 





JOINT ASSEMBLY OF THE CONVENTION CONCLUED BETWEEN THE AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC STATES AND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY (ACP-EC)RESOLUTION () on the proposed EU-South Africa Free Trade Area Agreement The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,- meeting in Luxembourg from 23 to 26 September 1996,A. mindful of the need of South Africa to establish a new basis for trade relations with the EU which promotes development-focussed growth,B. aware of the level of integration which has been achieved within the SACU and the plans for further regional integration laid down in the SADC Trade Protocol,C. affirming that progress forwards a FTA should be based on the relative capacities of the parties concerned to carry the adjustment costs associated with the elimination of tariffs,D. affirming that the elimination of South African tariffs in the context of the FTA should be consistent with the ability of SACU industries to adjust to the increased competition,E. recognizing that any free trade area agreement between the EU and South Africa will have immediate effects on the neighbouring ACP countries of Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland and important long-term implications for the relations of other SADC countries with the EU,F. noting that the EU's current FTA proposals would- have a major impact on BLNS Government revenues, unless the extent and pace of tariff elimination is substantially revised;- increase competition on the South African market to the detriment of industrial development in the BLNS unless appropriate safeguard measures are established;- seriously undermine agricultural production and agro-processing industries in the BLNS unless the issue of EU producer and export subsidies is fully adressed;- have serious implications for future access for Southern African products to the EU market beyond the year 2000,G. welcoming the recent declaration in Cape Town by the Commission that the coverage of the FTA need not be exactly the same on both sides,1. Calls on the EU to fully acknowledge and address the revenue implications of the proposed FTA for the BLNS countries;2. Calls on the EU to exclude from the coverage of the FTA goods produced in the BLNS countries mainly for the South African market, which are deemed 'sensitive`;3. Calls on the EU to allow 'greater asymmetry of content` in the proposed FTA in order to allow for the full accommodation of BLNS sensitivities;4. Calls on the EU to fully address the issue of EU producer and export subsidies for agricultural exports to South Africa, which are undermining the market for agricultural products exported to South Africa from neighbouring countries;5. Calls on the EU to assess the implications of the proposed EU-South Africa FTA agreement for future trade relations with neighbouring ACP-SADC countries beyond the year 2000, especially in view of the impact of the recently agreed SADC Trade Protocol;6. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, the Commission, the Government of South Africa and the signatory States of the Lomé Convention.