Brussels, 13/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - Invited to an initial exchange of views over the Commission proposal relating to the negotiating mandate for the economic partnership agreements between the EU and the ACP countries, the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the EU 15 favourably welcomed, on Monday in Brussels, the guidelines put forward for an exercise that should begin next 27 September (see EUROPE of 13 April, p.15). The steering debate undertaken by the Ministers covered issues of market access and the need for the compatibility of future agreements with WTO rules, applied with the flexibility required for the poor countries. The divergences of opinions between the Southern delegation, which fears the opening of their markets to ACP agriculture products, and the Northern countries, who have less to loose, should not prevent the adoption of the mandate in time to respect the negotiating timetable. No decision has been taken at this stage. The Council entrusted the Committee of Permanent Representatives with the responsibility of continuing the talks and to report to it during the next session.
The conclusions of the Presidency recall that the aim of the future agreements with the integrated regional entities or the individual ACP countries, to negotiate under the Cotonou agreement, aim both for the harmonious and the progressive integration of the ACP States within the global economy and the eradication of poverty.