Brussels, 26/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Union and the 77 ACP countries are to meet in Punta Cana (Dominican Republic) on 28 June for an important joint ministerial session, dominated by prospects for ACP/EU negotiations that are to begin on 27 September to put in place a new trade system by 2008, based on economic partnership agreements compatible with the rules of the WTO. Trade issues and implementation of the Cotonou Agreement will have central place at this 27th session of the joint Council, organised the day after the ACP Council of ministers (see EUROPE of 26 June, pp. 15 and 16).
For ACP countries, the work will be chaired by Madnus L. Kpakol, Economic Advisor to the President of the Republic of Nigeria. On the European side, only the Spanish Presidency, Sweden, Portugal and Italy will be represented at ministerial level. Poul Nielson, European Commissioner for Development will represent the European Commission. Cuba - which is not a signatory to the Cotonou Agreement but still hopes to be accepted as full member of the ACP Group - and East Timor - which has made a formal request to join the ACP Group - will take part in the session, with observer status. Here is the agenda:
Ratification of the Cotonou Agreement: the Council will discuss the situation of Member States of the Union, ACP States already having completed this formality in sufficient numbers (56 countries of the 77, whereas the quorum is 51 countries). On the European side, only eight countries have ratified the agreement, singed in June 2000 (Denmark, United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, France, Germany, Spain and Ireland) whereas this is demanded of the15 and any delay preventing the agreement's coming into force by the end of the year will also prevent the mobilisation of funds from the 9th Edf (the provisions of the agreement, except the financial ones, are in force due to transitional measures).
Economic Partnership Agreements: the Council will look at the state of preparations for these negotiations and have an exchange of views on the basis of the respective negotiating mandates, adopted by the Europeans on 17 June, and Thursday by the ACP Council of ministers.
Trade co-operation; the Council will take note of a report, on behalf of both parties, on discussions concerning the impact of the Union's enlargement on the competitiveness of ACP products, the Union's undertaking to place at disposal 50 million euro of the 9th Edf for assistance in issues relating to trade, and the ACP proposal to renew the joint working group in international fora, the generalised system of preferences (GSP).
Sugar: the Council will take note of the ACP declaration following the previous day's Council.
Bananas: the Council will take note of the ACP declaration.
Co-operation in financing development: on the basis of a report by the Joint Ministerial Committee which will meet in the morning of the session, the Council will discuss the financial analysis of the 6th, 7th and 8th Edf in 2000, turn to progress in the planning of the 9th Edf by countries and regions and the manner of allocating resources for special operations provided for by the Cotonou Agreement (EIB loans for long-term development: construction of social housing, micro-finance for SMEs and micro-companies, enhancing the participation of the private sector in social and economic development) and will be briefed on the state of progress in the exercise in bestowing Commission competencies on delegations, in the framework of the reform of the management of external aid.
Political dialogue in the framework of the Cotonou Agreement: the Council will examine the draft guidelines drawn up jointly to implement the ACP/EU dialogue in view of adopting them.
Implementation of the Cotonou Agreement: the Council should adopt conclusions on the participation of ACP non-State players in implementing the agreement, by confirming eligibility criteria for these players' access to resources of the European Development Fund, if ACP countries agree.
Union enlargement: the European side will brief the ACP side on the state of progress in accession negotiations with candidate countries, process that will be the subject of an exchange of views.
Zimbabwe: the Council will have an exchange of views on the interpretation of Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement (dispute settlement between one or several EU Member states, on the one hand and one or several ACP states, on the other, born from different interpretations of the agreement's provisions), Zimbabwe demanding the use of this Article (it considers that the Europeans did not respect the allowed time in January' consultations and that the deployment of Union observers is not provided for in the Cotonou Agreement).
Next session of the joint Council: the two parties will agree on the place and date.
At the request of the ACP Group, the Council will informally broach the following issues: a) ACP-EU forum on research activities in view of sustainable development (Cape Town, July 2002); b) EU/Sudan political dialogue; c) institutional prospects of European development policy which is of great concern to ACP States after the Seville decision to dissolve the Development Council in the "General Affairs and External Relations" Council.
At the request of the EU, the Council will deal with the preparation of the World Summit for sustainable development, the appointment of EU candidates to the future Centre for the Development of Enterprise (CDE) board of administration, and the ratification of the statute of the International Criminal Tribunal.