Brussels/Nairobi, 03/10/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Union and the 77 countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACPs) have "made a step forward" in their deliberations on the new trade round at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) although they have not reached consensus on conditions for launching the negotiations, indicated Commissioner Pascal Lamy after the joint EU/ACP trade committee ministerial meeting in Nairobi on Tuesday.
Less than five weeks ahead of the Doha Summit, the Commissioner came up against the fears and demands that his fellow negotiators in ACPs generally share with most developing countries, and which the developing countries restated at almost the same moment in Geneva (see below). The ACP group is still essentially concerned about problems encountered implementing the agreements under the previous trade round, including access to agricultural markets and anti-dumping rules, despite the multilateral offer under discussion (see EUROPE of 1/2 October, p.12), explained the Kenyan diplomat Nicholas Biwott, who headed the ACP delegation. The 77 ACPs are also assessing the repercussions of various issues that might be put on the negotiating table, such as the transparency of public contracts, competition, intellectual property and patent protection. He explained that they were trying to understand what was new and also wanted to benefit from what had already been agreed, still having the feeling that they had not benefited from what had been agreed. European sources suggest that progress was made at the meeting in terms of preparing the EU/ACP trade negotiations which are likely to be launched in little under a year's time.