Brussels, 06/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Union and the Andean Community discussed their co-operation and trade relations at the 6th Joint Committee that met in Brussels this week in the framework of the Co-operation Framework-Agreement between the EU and the five countries of the Andean Community (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela).Regarding co-operation, the Commission supports the Andean integration process and the fight against drug trafficking notably, with funding in the order of 5 to 10 million euro depending on the years, which are to be added to the 120 million euro allocated to bilateral co-operation with each of the Andean countries, the Commission recalls in a press release. Commercially, both parties raised the problems encountered by their exporters and the updating of the system of generalised preferences (SGP) scheme for the 2002/2004 period, being examined in Council. In its press release, the Commission stresses "the importance of waiting for the results of a study on the current state and prospects of economic and trade relations between the EU and the Andean Community" before beginning talks on a possible new agreement. This study, requested two years ago by the Andean countries and officially announced at the EU/Andean community ministerial meeting in Vilamoura in February 2000, is still at the starting stage, the Commission still having to choose experts responsible for undertaking it.