§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what impact the EC's Everything but Arms initiative will have on the Cotonou Partnership Agreement. [136830]
§ Mr. Caborn[holding answer 6 November 2000]: I have been asked to reply.
None. The European Commission's proposal on improved market access for the 1 per cent. of products from the 48 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) which do not yet have tariff and quota free access to the EU will be implemented by adjustments to the EU' s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) scheme. The Cotonou Partnership Agreement and the preferences it enshrines for the participating countries will be unchanged. However, the 39 Cotonou countries which are also LDCs would be able to gain some additional benefits if they export to the EU products covered by the proposed new GSP arrangements.