§ Mr. Spearingasked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement covering the agreements reached concerning the second Lomé convention; where and when these details have been published by Her Majesty's Government; and if he will state in the Official Report the principal changes made in the existing arrangements.
§ Mr. HurdI refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave on 29 June to my hon. Friend the Member for Wycombe (Mr. Whitney) and on 11 July to the hon. Member for Kingston-upon-Hull, Central (Mr. McNamara).
Following the EEC-ACP negotiating conference held in Brussels from 25–27 June the ACP re-opened discussions with the Community on a number of points, nearly all of which have been resolved. Provisional agreement has meanwhile been reached on the date for signature of the new convention, which is due to take place in Lomé on 31 October. After signature the text of the new convention will be presented to Parliament, in the normal way, as a Command Paper, together with all the related documents, and the necessary steps will then be taken with a view to ratification.
The main features of Lomé II are as follows:
(a) The basic trade arrangements will remain substantially unchanged. The ACP will continue to be allowed unlimited duty-free access—subject to the safeguard clause—for all industrial products and the large majority of its agricultural exports to the EEC. At the same time there will be improved access to the Community market for various ACP agricultural exports including notably Commonwealth ACP exports of rum and beef, and a revised banana protocol committing the Community inter alia to support any ACP move to establish a joint ACP producer organisation for bananas. There will also be revised provisions making for more flexibility in the operation of the rules of origin—particularly as regards 330W requests for derogations put forward by ACP States in the least developed category.
(b) There will be increased amounts of Community aid and European Investment Bank lending, the overall amount under Lomé II coming to 5,227 MEUA—million European units of account—(£3,345 million)—as against 3,390 MEUA (£2,169 million) under Lomé I. The new convention will also provide for more flexible programming procedures, designed to meet the needs of the ACP.
(c) The STABEX scheme under the new convention will cover an expanded list of products, including for the first time rubber, pepper, cashew kernels, cotton seed, oil cakes, peas, beans and lentils, and some seafoods.
(d) There will be a new arrangement designed to help ACP mineral producers whose production and income suffers as a result of temporary disruptions beyond the control of the States concerned.
(e) There will be a number of new commitments on both sides—some aspects of which are still being negotiated—concerning the promotion and protection of investments in ACP countries from the Community and its member States.
(f) There will be a new chapter on agricultural co-operation, including provision for a technical centre for agricultural and rural co-operation.
(g) There will be a number of new provisions on industrial co-operation, including notably a section on EEC-ACP co-operation in the field of energy.
(h) There will be a considerably expanded EEC-ACP declaration on sea fishing, in which the ACP States declare their willingness to negotiate bilateral fishery agreements with the Community.
We are taking steps to ensure that British firms are aware of the massive opportunities for exports provided by the increased European development fund.