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Dept of Trade and Industry

Answer

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her written ministerial statement of 22 March 2005, Official Report, columns 62-3W, on economic partnership agreements, on what basis her Department arrived at the period of 20 years given unconditionally to African, Caribbean and Pacific countries to open their markets to trade with the EU, following implementation of any given EU Economic Partnership Agreement; and whether she plans to make this period fully reciprocal. [224079] Ms Hewitt: [holding answer 4 April 2005]: In recommending a transition period of 20 years, the Government took into consideration the views of the ACP countries, the ACP submission in the current WTO negotiations on Article 24 of the GATT, which suggested a minimum of 18 years for developing countries, and the transition period agreed in other recent regional trade agreements. The Government believe that each ACP regional group should make its own decisions on the timing, pace, sequencing, and product coverage of market opening in line with individual countries' national development plans and poverty reduction strategies. Regional groups should have the flexibility to move towards more open markets along a non-linear path if necessary.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

432 c1375W;432 c1371W; 224079

Session

2004-05

Subjects

Developing countries EU external trade Products Trade Trade agreements Time limits EU external relations ACP countries Economic partnership agreements

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk