Lomé II Negotiations

HC Deb 18 June 1979 vol 968 cc414-5W

Mr. Hooley

asked the Lord Privy Seal what timetable has been set for the conclusion of negotiations of the Lome II treaty.

Mr. Hurd

No timetable has yet been set. We hope that the ministerial negotiating conference held in Brussels from 24 to 26 May, which now stands, adjourned, will be resumed in the near future.

Mr. Hooley

asked the Lord Privy Seal what agreement has been reached in the' Lomé II negotiations on preferential access to the EEC market for sugar, rum, bananas and beef from the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries.

Mr. Hurd

Access to the EEC market, for African, Caribbean and Pacific sugar under the new EEC-ACP convention will be the same as under Lomé I, since the sugar protocol, being of indeterminate duration, is not at issue in the current negotiations. No agreement has yet been reached with the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries on rum or beef. An agreement has been reached on bananas, which maintains in force the substance of the banana protocol contained in the Lome convention.

Mr. Hooley

asked the Lord Privy Seal what agreement has been reached in the Lomé II negotiations about including in the treaty a clause concerning human rights.

Mr. Hurd

No agreement has yet been reached in the negotiations with the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries on this subject. As regards the Community's attitude, I have nothing to add to the reply I gave to my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Hertfordshire, East (Sir D. Walker-Smith) on 13 June.—[Vol. 969, c. 428.]

Mr. Hooley

asked the Lord Privy Seal what proposals have been made in the negotiations of Lomé II about the future of the Stabex scheme (a) as to money available,(b) as to commodities covered by the scheme, and (c) as to the trigger levels for activating support for particular commodities.

Mr. Hurd

The negotiations between the Community and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries on the future of the Stabex scheme have not yet been concluded. The amount of money available will be settled when final agreement is reached on product coverage. The Community has so far agreed to add cashew kernels, pepper, shrimps and prawns, squid, cotton seed, oil cake, peas, beans and lentils to the list of products already covered in the current Stabex scheme. The details of the new scheme, including the trigger levels, are still under discussion.

Mr. Hooley

asked the Lord Privy Seal what progress has been made in the negotiations of Lomé II on the size of the European development fund for 1980 to 1985, expressed in £ sterling.

Mr. Hurd

Discussion between the Community and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries on the size of the next European development fund began during the negotiating conference which took place from 24 to 26 May, but no agreement has yet been reached. The Community has offered the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries a financial package, including provision for European Investment Bank lending, but this is still under negotiation and the details remain confidential.