HC Deb 28 November 2000 vol 357 cc541-2W
Mrs. Gillan

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what impact offering duty free access to least developed countries will have on the EU rice and sugar markets' tariff structures. [136827]

Mr. Caborn

I have been asked to reply.

The European Commission's proposal is to amend the EU's scheme of Generalised Tariff Preferences (GSP) so as to extend duty free access without any quantitative restrictions to products originating in the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The proposal provides for this duty free treatment for rice and sugar to be achieved progressively, as follows: LDCs will be able to receive a 20 per cent. reduction of the Common Customs Tariff duties payable on their exports of these products from 1 January 2001; a 50 per cent. reduction from 1 January 2002; an 80 per cent. reduction from 1 January 2003; culminating in full elimination on 1 January 2004. This proposal does not address the CAP regimes for Rice and Sugar. The European Commission has made two other, separate proposals for reform of these two CAP regimes.