§ Sir Alastair GoodladTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has made to the EU Commission on its green paper on the successor agreement to the Lomé Convention. [40006]
§ Mr. FoulkesThe UK produced a formal response to the Commission's Green Paper in October 1997. Since then, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development met Commissioner Pinheiro, the Commissioner responsible for the EC's external relations with the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States, on a number of occasions to discuss the Commission's proposals and she will have the opportunity to talk to him again at the ACP-EC Ministerial Council in Barbados on 7–8 May 1998. She has also participated in discussions on the future of ACP-EU relations at the Development Council on 28 November 1997 and the General Affairs Council on 30 March 1998, and will be chairing the discussions on EU's Lomé negotiating mandate at the Development Council on 18 May 1998. I addressed the EU/ACP Parliamentary Assembly in Mauritius on 21 April, answered questions on Lomé from the delegates and discussed the proposals with Commissioner Pinheiro. In addition, officials maintain a close dialogue with the Commission through their participation in the working group responsible for negotiating the EU's negotiating mandate, which the UK chairs as Presidency, and their informal contacts.