Brussels, 09/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - The ACP Council of Ministers (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific), gathered in Brussels on 9 and 10 May, as part of a series of works that the ACP group is leading to prepare for deadlines as important as the third United Nations conference on least developed countries (Brussels 14-20 May), the negotiations with the European Union, meant to begin in September 2002,and the next round of the WTO negotiation. This ministerial session - the 73rd of the kind - will dedicate much of its time to trade issues and allow the ACP Ministers to prepare the joint ACP/EU Council of Ministers that will take place on 11 May in Brussels. In the absence of the acting ACP Council President (the Minister for Trade and Industry for Namibia), the session will be chaired by Mr Yaw Osuafou-Msafo, Minister for Finance of Ghana. Below is the programme of the works:
The Council will debate the report adopted by the ACP organisations for regional integration following their second meeting (Brussels, 3 and 4 May) dedicated, firstly, to the programming of the resources from the 9th EDF that will be allocated to regional aid and, secondly, to the definition of regions of regional integration for the negotiation of regional economic partnership agreements between the ACP and the European Union (see EUROPE of 7 and 8 May, p.14).
The Council will be informed of the reports from the "Trade" and "Cooperation for the financing of development" Ministerial committees, as well as the results of the ministerial talks over bananas and sugar. It will also get to know the resolutions adopted during the second EU-ACP joint parliamentary Assembly (in Libreville last March).
The Council will have an exchange of views over the political dialogue with the Union in the framework of the Cotonou agreement and will designate speakers to facilitate the discussion on this issue during the second joint Council on Friday.
The ACP Ministers will take advantage of their presence in Brussels to take part in the following meetings:
Saturday 12 May: ministerial consultations with 40 ACP countries among the least developed to prepare their contribution to the United Nations Conference on LDC (14-20 May).
Sunday 13: Second meeting of the ACP trade committee to prepare the first meeting of the mixed ACP/EU trade committee (which will steer the ACP-EU negotiations) planned for 14 May.