HC Deb 24 March 1998 vol 309 cc94-5W
Sir Alastair Goodlad

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proposals she will be making during the United Kingdom presidency of the European Union to safeguard the interests of Caribbean banana producers; and if she will make a statement. [35760]

Clare Short

Proposals to revise the EU banana regime to bring it into conformity with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling and at the same time to provide assistance to traditional African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) banana producers have been prepared by the European Commission and are currently under discussion by Member States.

As a leading advocate of the legitimate interests of those developing countries in the Caribbean who have traditionally supplied the UK market, the Government intend to play a major role in developing a solution to the problem that meets our obligations to both our traditional suppliers of bananas and the WTO. The UK is well placed to do this as it currently holds the Presidency of the EU.

Sir Alastair Goodlad

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her policy towards the European Commission proposals for a new agreement on development partnerships with the ACP. [35727]

Clare Short

The Lomé Convention has been an important basis for trade, development and political relations between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries of the alliance for over 22 years. The current Lomé Convention expires in 2000, and the Government hope that, during the UK Presidency, the EU's negotiating mandate for the successor arrangements will be agreed. The Commission's proposals provide a very good basis for discussion. They contain much the Government agree with, including a commitment to the international poverty eradication emphasis on partnerships and a simplification of the range of aid instruments.

Trade is the most difficult and complex area. The challenge is to design arrangements which will support the integration of the ACP economies into the world economy. The Commission has proposed a 5 year roll-year of current preferences from 2000–05, followed by either Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) or integration into the Generalised System of Preferences, with a special window for the least developed. The Government welcome the roll-over period, but wish to see greater emphasis on enhancing the Generalised System of Preferences, in order to promote a genuine alternative to FTAs for the non-least developed ACP countries.