HC Deb 14 November 2000 vol 356 cc610-1W
Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what impact the effect of the EC's Everything but Arms initiative will have on negotiations between the EC and WTO members for a new banana regime. [136829]

Ms Quin

I have been asked to reply.

The Commission's proposal to amend the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) allows for a three year phasing-in period of tariff and quota free access for bananas. The UK continues to work for the achievement of a rapid solution to the WTO banana dispute which is acceptable within the WTO and addresses the needs of Caribbean producers. We will work to ensure that pursuit of this solution and the proposal for amendment of the GSP Regulation are consistent.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what impact extension of unlimited duty and quota free access to the EU market for large least developed country sugar producers will have on the EU agricultural budget and excess EU production and intervention costs. [136828]

Ms Quin

I have been asked to reply.

The UK is pressing for this to be fully assessed in the context of the consideration given to the Commission's separate proposals on the reform of the EU sugar regime. It will depend on the amount of sugar that least developed countries send to the EU. The EU already has a substantial sugar surplus, and the only tools in the current regime to deal with an increase are intervention buying and/or cuts in EU quotas.

Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what impact the European Commission's proposals to provide duty and quota free access to the EU market to 48 least developed countries will have on EC proposals for the reform of the EU sugar and rice regimes. [136826]

Ms Quin

I have been asked to reply.

The Government believe that there is potential inconsistency between the European Commission's proposals for duty free access for sugar and rice from least developed countries and their parallel proposals for reform of the EU sugar and rice regimes. We have pressed for the impact of the LDC proposal to be properly discussed in the context of the reform proposals in the Agriculture Council.