WRITTEN QUESTION E-3701/01 by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Renewal of the EU-Pakistan cooperation agreement.
Date: 2002-01-17
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU relations, Pakistan, cooperation agreement (EU), cooperation policy, generalised preferences, tariff quota, textile product, trade agreement (EU)

29.8.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 205 E/55

In the light of these developments, the Council considers that the restrictions in EU-Belarus relations
2.
imposed by the GAC conclusions of September 1997 remain entirely valid. Ministerial contacts are
restricted to the Presidency and the Troika. EU assistance has been halted, except for humanitarian and
regional projects or those in support of the democratisation process.

3.
The EU has used its contacts with the authorities to push for progress in human rights, notably the
cases of Mr Bandazhevsky and Mr Klimov, as well as in the access of the opposition to mass media. The
EU has also pressed for a fast resolution of the question of the OSCE Assistance and Monitoring Group
(AMG) mandate and the nomination of the new AMG Head. Moreover, the EU stressed the urgency to
adopt the new laws on the Ombudsman and on increasing the powers of parliament. In parallel to the
meetings with the authorities, the EU also had direct contacts with representative of the opposition in
Belarus.

The EU is supporting the democratisation process through instruments such as TACIS and the Cross
4.
Border Cooperation Programme. A number of projects have been identified under the European Initiative
for Democracy and Human Rights. Civil society is the main target of EU assistance, which is also
supporting OSCE efforts in Belarus.

The Council is currently reflecting on the EU’s policy towards Belarus, including on how to increase

5.
the efficiency of its assistance for democratic transition.

(2002/C 205 E/058)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3701/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 January 2002)

Subject: Renewal of the EU-Pakistan cooperation agreement

Chancellor Schröder of Germany visited Pakistan at the end of October 2001, when he is said to have
promised that the cooperation agreement with Pakistan would be renewed (it had been frozen when
President Musharraf seized power). Pursuant to one proposal, Pakistan is clearly already to be allowed to
start exporting textile goods to the European Union without quotas.

Can the Commission explain what the current situation is with regard to the cooperation agreement with
Pakistan and what changes are to be made as regards trade between the Union and Pakistan?

Answer given by Mr Lamy on behalf of the Commission

(15 February 2002)

A 3rd generation Co-operation Agreement between the Community and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
was signed in Islamabad on 24 November 2001 by President Musharraf, Prime Minister Verhofstadt and
the President of the Commission. The new Agreement substantially enlarges the scope for co-operation
between the two Parties, not only in the traditional areas of commercial, economic and development co-
operation, but for new important fields, including the environment, industry and services, science and
technology, regional co-operation, as well as drugs and money laundering. The Agreement is not linked
with a financing protocol.

It will still take a few more weeks before the Agreement enters into force, as the two Parties have to
complete some necessary procedures. There is no direct link between signature of the Agreement and the
trade measures which the Honourable Member is referring to. The latter were proposed by the
Commission and agreed by the Council in response to the crisis in the region surrounding Afghanistan.

C 205 E/56

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

29.8.2002

The need to help Pakistan was discussed at the General Affairs Council of 8 October 2001. It was
promptly taken up by the Commission which has proposed trade measures on two fronts: tariffs [zero
duty for clothing by adding Pakistan to the list of countries benefiting from the drug regime under the
Generalised tariff preferences (GSP) as of 1 January 2002] and quotas [15 % increase under the bilateral
agreement initialled on 15 October 2001].

The drug regime provides duty free access for all
industrial products included in the GSP general
arrangements (1), and for many agricultural products, some of which are not included in the general
arrangements. However, preferential treatment does not apply to sectors which are graduated. Pakistan is
presently graduated in leather and textiles, but not in clothing.

In accordance with the agreement (2), the Community increased all Pakistani quotas for the year 2001 by
15 %. Following this increase the quota levels for the years 2002 to 2004 will be calculated on this new
base level for 2001. On its side, Pakistan bound its tariffs on textiles and clothing on 17 December 2001
in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at a level
is 10 %-points lower across the board in
comparison to tariffs applied at the beginning of 2001 when negotiations started. They also have given
commitments not to implement non-tariff barriers.

that

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 2501/2001 of 10 December 2001 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences

for the period from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2004, OJ L 346, 31.12.2001.

(2) Council Decision 2001/935/EC of 17 December 2001 on the signing, on behalf of the Community, and provisional
application of an Agreement in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding between the European Community
and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on transitional arrangements in the field of market access for textile and
clothing products, OJ L 345, 29.12.2001.

(2002/C 205 E/059)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3713/01

by Jonas Sjöstedt (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 January 2002)

Subject: Former Commission employees’ consultancies

The former Commissioner Martin Bangemann went into the private sector and became a highly paid
consultant and board member of Telefonica, the Spanish telecoms business. Mr Bangemann’s network of
contacts and the knowledge he gained as a Member of the Commission were considered very valuable and
naturally gave Telefonica an advantage. A debate started up on the posts it was appropriate for former
members of the Commission to hold.

However, former directors-general and their deputies also go on at least as often to become highly paid
consultants in industry straight after leaving the Commission, and there are also straight exchanges
between the Commission and industry. A former Commission employee is, of course, not the property of
the Commission. But there must be some requirements ensuring that confidential information such people
obtain when working for the Commission is not used in such a way as to distort competition in the
internal market after they have left the Commission.

Has the Commission come up with an ethical rule governing the jobs former directors-general and their
deputies may hold after leaving the Commission?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(12 March 2002)

The obligations of integrity and discretion that have to be observed by all former permanent officials and
other servants who have left the service are clearly set out in Articles 16 and 17 of the Staff Regulations.
They provide the main definition of ethical principles to be adhered to by former Staff.