HC Deb 12 November 2003 vol 413 cc269-70
1. Tony Lloyd (Manchester, Central)

If he will make a statement on the representations he has received about the development aspects of the Cotonou process. [137783]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development (Mr. Gareth Thomas)

We are engaged in ongoing discussions with European partners and others on the future of European development and co-operation, including that provided to African, Caribbean and Pacific states under the Cotonou agreement. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will meet European partners to discuss that issue, among others, in Brussels on 17 November at the General Affairs and External Relations Council. My right hon. Friend has received a representation from Traidcraft on economic partnership agreements—the trade pillar of the Cotonou agreement—and the Department of Trade and Industry, which leads on this issue, holds regular meetings with non-governmental organisations on those negotiations to discuss their concerns.

Tony Lloyd

I am delighted to know that Traidcraft has made representations to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Will the Minister confirm, however, that there is real concern among the NGOs—but, more importantly, among the ACP countries—that the Cotonou agreement may act to sabotage the gains that were made in Cancun? In particular, if the European Union sees the Cotonou agreement as a way to drive region-by-region agreements, to the disadvantage of the poorest people, it will be disastrous in development terms. Will he make it clear that the Government will not go down that road, but that we will instead offer ways to provide practical support to developing countries to ensure that they can negotiate properly with the EU?

Mr. Thomas

I can give my hon. Friend that assurance. As we have made clear in the House and as other members of the negotiating team have made clear, getting the Doha development round talks back on track is absolutely fundamental to our agenda. In that context, we recognise that we have to start from where the negotiations left off, and not move off into the sort of regional or bilateral negotiations that have been feared by a number of countries. So we remain absolutely committed to getting multilateral negotiations back on track that seek to achieve the development objectives that my hon. Friend and, indeed, the developing countries want to see.

Michael Fabricant (Lichfield)

Is not the real obstacle to the Cotonou process the subsidies that are provided to farmers in the EU and in the United States, producing unfair competition with farmers in Africa and other parts of the developing world? What can the Minister do, at least in the EU, to try to ensure that the common agricultural policy is reformed and still ensure that the US can lower its subsidies, too, as a consequence?

Mr. Thomas

The hon. Gentleman is broadly right about the importance of making progress to reduce the adverse impact of agricultural subsidies. I am sure that he will have welcomed the historic decision taken in June this year by the EU in respect of the CAP negotiations that allowed us to make progress at Cancun. We are also seeking to secure a reduction in subsidies in relation to other EU commodity regimes, such as those for cotton and sugar, to continue the sense of progress that is being made.

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