The African-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP) countries were apprehensive
about the planned Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the
EU which would replace the trade provisions of the Cotonou
Agreement, Botswana President Festus Mogae said Thursday.
This was despite co-operation between the ACP countries and the member states of the European Union which had stood the test of time, in the face of debt and falling aid.
Mogae said the ACP countries were looking to the EU to help solve their debt burdens, and was critical of the economic reform programmes imposed on some ACP countries.
Mogae was speaking in the Botswana capital at the opening of the 29th session of the Council of Ministers of the ACP-EU countries which runs through Friday.
It follows a three day 79th session of the Council of Ministers of the ACP countries, also in Gaborone.
"We fear that our economies will not be able to withstand the pressures associated with liberalisation as prescribed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
"This challenges us all as partners to ensure that the outcome of the ongoing EPA negotiations does not leave ACP countries more vulnerable to the vagaries of globalisation and liberalisation." The WTO initially criticised Cotonou which side-steps many of the WTO rules, later accepted it, but is now saying it must comply.
"Whilst the ACP countries still maintain the existing ACP-EU trade arrangements are equal to none, they are apprehensive about the EPAs," he said.
The ACP countries still faced many challenges; poverty, debt burdens, environmental degradation and capacity constraints.
"The numerous initiatives launched by the international community in the past few years to address these ills have not brought much relief," Mogae told delegates, who represented all but two of the 25 members of the enlarged EU "Overall development assistance continues to fall in real terms, (yet) a solution to the debt burden with which many ACP countries continue to grapple, remains elusive. We continue to look to the EU as partners to take a lead in finding solutions to this problem."
Mogae was liberal in his overall praise of ACP-EU co-operation, but critical of the structural reform imposed on some ACP members – which have not as yet been necessary in Botswana.
"Successive ACP-EU Conventions have served as good examples of what can and should be achieved through partnership between the developed and developing countries.
Each and every Member State of the ACP can stake a claim to the benefits offered in many areas," he said.
"We realise we have obligations to introduce reforms necessary for development and economic growth. Some countries have undertaken bold and sometimes risky and painful steps and the reforms have aggravated their situations in the short term.
"Many people saw their living standards deteriorate rather than improve. The pain associated with structural reforms comes immediately while the benefits come much later." Answering criticism repeatedly expressed at the ACP Ministers meeting that the EU would divert resources to its 10 new members at the expense of the ACP bloc, co-president of the Council Tom Kitt said the citizens of the enlarged EU and the ACP countries shared goals of democracy, liberty and prosperity.
He promised more assistance for those ACP states dependent on commodity exports.
"Our ACP partners will benefit from this enlargement," he said.
"The EU is already the largest provider of development assistance and the main trading partner of ACP countries: this will allow them to export to the new members under the same conditions as they do to the rest of the EU."
Kitt said the EU would continue to work for the ACP's sustainable development.
"A serious focus should be placed on finding solutions to the problems experienced by the most vulnerable countries to such issues as commodity prices and better access to the markets of developed countries," he said.
Kitt said the EU particularly welcomed the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) as an unprecedented African-led initiative to identify strategies for confronting the inter-related problems of peace and development. - Sapa
This was despite co-operation between the ACP countries and the member states of the European Union which had stood the test of time, in the face of debt and falling aid.
Mogae said the ACP countries were looking to the EU to help solve their debt burdens, and was critical of the economic reform programmes imposed on some ACP countries.
Mogae was speaking in the Botswana capital at the opening of the 29th session of the Council of Ministers of the ACP-EU countries which runs through Friday.
It follows a three day 79th session of the Council of Ministers of the ACP countries, also in Gaborone.
"We fear that our economies will not be able to withstand the pressures associated with liberalisation as prescribed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
"This challenges us all as partners to ensure that the outcome of the ongoing EPA negotiations does not leave ACP countries more vulnerable to the vagaries of globalisation and liberalisation." The WTO initially criticised Cotonou which side-steps many of the WTO rules, later accepted it, but is now saying it must comply.
"Whilst the ACP countries still maintain the existing ACP-EU trade arrangements are equal to none, they are apprehensive about the EPAs," he said.
The ACP countries still faced many challenges; poverty, debt burdens, environmental degradation and capacity constraints.
"The numerous initiatives launched by the international community in the past few years to address these ills have not brought much relief," Mogae told delegates, who represented all but two of the 25 members of the enlarged EU "Overall development assistance continues to fall in real terms, (yet) a solution to the debt burden with which many ACP countries continue to grapple, remains elusive. We continue to look to the EU as partners to take a lead in finding solutions to this problem."
Mogae was liberal in his overall praise of ACP-EU co-operation, but critical of the structural reform imposed on some ACP members – which have not as yet been necessary in Botswana.
"Successive ACP-EU Conventions have served as good examples of what can and should be achieved through partnership between the developed and developing countries.
Each and every Member State of the ACP can stake a claim to the benefits offered in many areas," he said.
"We realise we have obligations to introduce reforms necessary for development and economic growth. Some countries have undertaken bold and sometimes risky and painful steps and the reforms have aggravated their situations in the short term.
"Many people saw their living standards deteriorate rather than improve. The pain associated with structural reforms comes immediately while the benefits come much later." Answering criticism repeatedly expressed at the ACP Ministers meeting that the EU would divert resources to its 10 new members at the expense of the ACP bloc, co-president of the Council Tom Kitt said the citizens of the enlarged EU and the ACP countries shared goals of democracy, liberty and prosperity.
He promised more assistance for those ACP states dependent on commodity exports.
"Our ACP partners will benefit from this enlargement," he said.
"The EU is already the largest provider of development assistance and the main trading partner of ACP countries: this will allow them to export to the new members under the same conditions as they do to the rest of the EU."
Kitt said the EU would continue to work for the ACP's sustainable development.
"A serious focus should be placed on finding solutions to the problems experienced by the most vulnerable countries to such issues as commodity prices and better access to the markets of developed countries," he said.
Kitt said the EU particularly welcomed the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) as an unprecedented African-led initiative to identify strategies for confronting the inter-related problems of peace and development. - Sapa
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