WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3882/97 by Amedeo AMADEO , Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Commission. Green Paper on ACP-EU relations
Date: 1997-12-05
Institutions: AMADEO, European Parliament, MUSCARDINI
Subjects: ACP countries, EU relations, Lomé Convention, economic cooperation, economic development, environmental cooperation, financial cooperation, social development, trade cooperation

22. 6. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 196/27

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

(98/C 196/39)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3882/97

by Amedeo Amadeo (NI) and Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission

(5 December 1997)

Subject: Green Paper on ACP-EU relations

With reference to the 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  new  global
environment, past experience and the socio-economic changes in the ACP States mean that new priorities need to
be set for cooperation policy, which could be restructured on the basis of three principles: the economic, social
and environmental dimension, the institutional dimension and trade and investment.

With this in view, will the Commission give priority to the following sectors of cooperation:

›  education and training, particularly for women and girls;

›  support for the private sector and entrepreneurship;

›  protection of the environment, development of agriculture in line with the needs of the population, urban

planning, applied research, dissemination of new technologies and culture?

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(cid:146)s  question  is  yes.  The  Commission  will  vary  its  approach:
procedures and priorities for cooperation will be matched to the partner country(cid:146)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  Lome· 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 (1).  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(cid:146)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 (2) 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(cid:146)  regional  specificities  and  their  prospects  for
regional integration, and on each partner(cid:146)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(cid:146)s presence in the ACP economies; and to invite the ACP countries to cooperate with
the Community in international economic and trade negotiations.