Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2009-02-02-Speech-1-178"
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"en.20090202.17.1-178"2
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"Mr President, the Commission welcomes the report by Mr Schroeder, which represents a balanced overview of the diversity of opinions surrounding the development impact of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).
The dossier continues to evolve. We have signed a full Economic Partnership Agreement with the Caribbean region, whilst we have negotiated interim agreements with countries and regions in Africa and the Pacific. These interim EPAs provide for a trade regime compatible with WTO rules and preserve important trade preferences for these countries. The interim agreements are only transitory in nature, as they will be replaced by full regional EPAs. The pace of these negotiations will be set by the regions concerned to ensure those objectives and coverage match their own integration processes, capacity, needs and political priorities.
In parallel, the programming of the 10th European Development Fund has moved on. Most of the regional and national programmes are signed. In anticipation of the EPAs, these programmes include considerable support to help our African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) partners make the most of the agreements: direct support for the implementation of the agreements and indirect support to build up infrastructure and productive capacity.
The Commission recognises the essential role of development finance. At the same time we welcome the fact that the report acknowledges that the development objectives and outcomes of the agreements are a much wider issue than just financial support. We also recognise the essential role of reform in the ACP regions in reaching the development objectives, as set out in paragraph 14 of the report. This includes fiscal reform and changes to revenue systems. The reforms offset shifts in the tax base due to liberalisation and are in themselves valuable steps to ensuring sustainable public financing in the ACP.
Another essential objective is to support regional economic integration in the ACP. The interim agreements do not yet include all ACP countries. This is exactly why these agreements are only temporary pending full agreement. The full agreements will be flexible and comprehensive.
Building up supply-side capacity to trade and engage in goods and service sectors underpins the economic value of a trade agreement. The Commission’s view is that protectionism is never a valid policy option. However, we do acknowledge that protection – the legitimate use of measures to protect sensitive sectors and emerging industry – is a valid and essential policy tool. This is why the EPAs contain all sorts of flexibilities, and in particular exclusions and asymmetrical commitments for the ACP side, as called for in the report. On the EU side, our markets are completely open for ACP products, with increased cooperation to meet technical and health standards and facilitate trade. ACP countries will only open their markets gradually, with the possibility to maintain exceptions.
The Commission does not see our commitment to the EPA process ending on signature. This is the start of a process of enhanced dialogue, careful implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the effect, especially as regards the development impact. All of this will use the institutions established to implement the agreement to ensure transparency and the participation of parliamentarians and civil society.
The Commission therefore welcomes the report by Mr Schröder and will provide a detailed reaction to the points raised in due course."@en1
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