Pacific Committed To Conclude EPA With EU
16 December 2011
Tonga’s Minister for
Labour, Commerce and Industries and the Pacific ACP Lead
Spokesperson, Hon. ‘Isileli Pulu on behalf of the Pacific
ACP Group provided an update of the Pacific ACP Economic
Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations to the 94th ACP
Council of Ministers on Friday 9th December 2011 in
Brussels.
Hon. Pulu reaffirmed to the Council the
region’s commitment to continue negotiating a
comprehensive EPA as a single region and conclude the
negotiations in 2012 as mandated by Pacific ACP Leaders in
September 2011.
He highlighted that the Pacific worked hard over the last year to complete eight (8) additional market access offers for Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.
“These offers were submitted to the European Commission in July 2011 for their consideration. After an intensive and thorough process of national consultations, the Pacific also revised the draft Pacific ACP-European Union EPA legal text and submitted it to the European Commission in July 2011for their consideration,” Hon. Pulu said.
The Pacific Lead Spokesperson also emphasized that
the Pacific has demonstrated flexibility on market access
offers and key contentious issues.
“The Pacific region
expects to engage in negotiations with the European
Commission in the first half of 2012 to consider flexibility
on these key contentious issues. They include the most
favoured nation, non-execution clause, export taxes, infant
industry clause, standstill, degree of liberalization, and
the transitional period. In the meantime, work on the part
of some Pacific ACP member countries also needs to be done
before the formal negotiations of 2012.”
Hon. Pulu
further drew the attention of the Council to the successful
conclusion of negotiations on accession to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) by Samoa and Vanuatu, which will be
formalized at the 8th WTO Ministerial Conference that will
be held on 15-17 December 2011 in Geneva.
In addition to
the WTO and EPA negotiations, the Minister also informed the
Council that the Pacific ACP States are concurrently
negotiating several regional trade agreements such as the
extension of the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement
(PICTA) to trade in services and PACER Plus negotiations
with Australia and New Zealand.
“These negotiations have stretched the already limited capacity of Pacific ACP States. However, the progress that has been made by Pacific ACP States demonstrates the Pacific region’s serious commitment towards regional integration as well as integration into the world economy.”
The speedy
undertaking by Pacific ACP States including Samoa, Solomon
Islands, and Tonga to ratify the revised Cotonou Agreement
was also noted.
The Deputy Prime Minister for Samoa and
Minister responsible for Commerce, Industry and Labour, the
Hon. Fonotoe Nuafesili Pierre Lauofo, and the Minister of
Foreign Affairs for Vanuatu, the Hon. Alfred Rolland Carlot
were also present at the meeting. Hon. ‘Isileli Pulu was
accompanied by HE Dr. Sione Ngongo Kioa, Tonga’s
Ambassador to the European Union and Ministry of Labour,
Commerce and Industries CEO Tatafu Moeaki.
ENDS.