Brussels, 22/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The spokesperson for Commissioner Chris Patten confirmed that the question of oil was raised at the meeting of the Political Dialogue between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in New York last week, on the fringe of the UN Assembly. The European delegation, headed by the President of the Development Council, Charls Josselin (French minister for cooperation) and comprising several foreign ministers, as well as Messrs. Solana and Patten, set out the Community's position as defined that very morning by the General Affairs Council, taking on board the conclusion of the EcoFin Council on the excessive level of oil prices and its effects on the world economy (EUROPE of 11/12 September, p.7).
The GCC Ministers pointed out essentially that: a) the level of the price of petrol in Europe was largely determined by the tax applied by importer countries; b) the Gulf States cannot speak on behalf of OPEC, of which it only represents a fraction; c) European countries (like Norway), or the EU even (like the United Kingdom) are also part of OPEC, and there is no knowledge of their having taken initiatives aimed at reducing the price of oil. Having said that, OPEC's decisions to increase the production of crude received the full backing of the GCC countries.
This was the first time that these issues have been raised in a meeting of the Political Dialogue between the EU and the GCC. Exchanges of views also turned to the state of negotiations over a free-trade agreement, on cooperation between the EU and the Gulf and the political situation in the Middle East.