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

Press release

Brussels 10 May, 2003

Position of ACP regional integration organisations on the EPA negotiations

Meeting in Brussels, on 9 May, 2003, under the chairmanship of Mr. Louis Sylvain GOMA, Executive Secretary of the CEEAC, heads of ACP regional integration organisations, while reaffirming the commitment of the ACP Group to begin the regional phase (2^nd phase) of Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations in September, 2003, have requested that the European Commission accord to the 1^st phase (all-ACP-EU negotiations) all the importance it deserves.

The organisations that were represented (CARICOM/CARIFORUM, ECOWAS, CEEAC, CEMAC, CILSS, COMESA, IGAD, Indian Ocean Commission, Pacific Island Forum, UEMOA)* noted the existence of divergences between the ACP and the European Union with regard to fundamental issues. They reaffirmed the ACP Group’s objective for phase 1 of the negotiations, that is to say, to reach a formal commitment between the two parties on the principles and objectives of EPA’s as well as on issues of common interest to all ACP States.

The regional organisations consider that consensus can be reached if both parties work in the spirit of partnership which underlies the Cotonou Agreement and insist that the EU side seriously engage in the first phase negotiations and demonstrate a willingness to overcome the divergences that have emerged.

ACP regional integration organisations considered that the development dimension must be placed at the centre of the EPA negotiations so that these can genuinely contribute to the eradication of poverty in ACP countries and their smooth and gradual integration into the world economy. In this regard, the EPA’s must allow for the strengthening of ACP countries’ production and supply capacities and address all constraints, including physical ones. In this regard, the question of resources constitutes a major source of concern.

ACP regional integration organisations insist on the importance of a revision of the existing WTO rules in order that they take into account their particular situation and respond to their development needs.

In addition to the question of the EPA negotiations, there was a second substantive agenda item concerning intra-ACP cooperation.

contact : Hegel Goutier +32 2 743 06 04 fax +32 2 743 06 58 www.acp.int