The Secretariat of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States

Or :FR/Tr :JA/Rev:AM

Port Moresby , 2 June 2006

Meeting in Port Moresby ( Papua New Guinea), under the chairmanship of ACP Co-President Dr. Onofre Rojas ( Dominican Republic) and EU Co-President Dr. Hans Winkler (Austria), the ACP-EC Council of Ministers agreed on a financial envelope of 23,966 m illion Euros for the 10 th European Development Fund (EDF) for the period 2008-2013. The joint Council also adopted a declaration on climate change, and addressed several key cooperation issues, namely, the EPAs, ACP commodities, migration and EU strategies for Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Council also discussed the recent earthquake in Indonesia and the situation in Timor Leste.

In a press conference at the end of the meeting, Dr. Onofre Rojas expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the joint Council and said that he was particularly pleased with the spirit that prevailed during the discussions. “We were able to conclude our work in a constructive spirit of partnership… The outcome meets our expectations,” he declared.

The high point of the session was the agreement reached regarding the resources of the next European Development Fund. After intense discussion, the two parties agreed on the sum of 23,966 million Euro to cover six years, beginning 1 January 2008. The sum of 21,966 million Euro will become available under the 10 th EDF once the pluri-annual financial framework comes into force. It will be allocated as follows: 17,766 million Euro to finance National and Regional Indicative Programmes; 2,700 million Euro to finance intra-ACP and inter-regional cooperation; 1,500 million Euro for the Investment Facility; and 2,000 million Euro provided by the European Investment Bank in loans from internal resources. As requested by the ACP side, it was further agreed that the amount would be directed exclusively to ACP countries, effectively quashing the European’s proposal to include the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT).

The joint Council also reviewed the state of play of the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreements. During their discussions, the Ministers noted the difference in the pace of negotiations among the different regions, but nonetheless commended the progress made. The joint Council reaffirmed its desire for the EPAs to be real instruments for development.

This Council session also provided the ACP side the opportunity to express its growing concern at the treatment of commodities from ACP countries. With regard to Cotton, the ACP countries mentioned the delay in implementing the EU-Africa Cotton Partnership due to the non-allocation of resources for implementing the Plan of Action before 2007. The ACP sidealsoexpressed concern about the future of Sugar. It urged the European Union and the Commission to honour their commitment to provide sufficient aid to the Sugar Protocol countries by allocating at least 500 million Euro per annum for the period 2007-2013, under the EU financial outlook for the same period. With regard to Bananas, the ACP side called for consultation with the EU with a view to ensuring their effective participation in any legal action that might be initiated at the WTO by the MFN countries. It urged the ACP and the European sides to open discussions with the aim of setting up a regime that would guarantee the viability of banana-exporting enterprises in ACP countries.

Furthermore, the joint Council discussed, for the first time, the issue of migration and development, particularly in view of the United Nations’ high-level meeting to be held in September 2006. Hon. Paul M’both, the Congolese Minister who had chaired the 1 st meeting of ACP Ministers responsible for Asylum, Migration and Mobility, presented the Brussels Declaration that was adopted on 13 April 2006. The Declaration expresses the ACP Group’s commitment to address the issue of managing migration, particularly with the aim of effectively initiating the implementation of Ar ticle 13 of the Cotonou Agreement on Migration . During the discussions, the ACP and the EU considered the possibility of presenting a common position at the UN meeting in September.

The joint Council adopted a Declaration on climate change and development which expresses their common concern about the deterioration of environmental conditions throughout the world. For the Ministers, it is not only an environmental issue, but also a developmental one. In the Declaration, Council calls on the ACP and EU countries to work together to fight this phenomenon that threatens primarily the Least Developed Countries, and vulnerable Small Island States. Council also adopted a Declaration calling for solidarity and aid following the recent earthquake in Indonesia. It also called for a peaceful solution to the situation in Timor Leste.

The European side took advantage of the Council meeting to review the EU’s strategies for Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific which are intended to strengthen the partnership with the three regions.