ACP Summit Example of Solidarity: Lamy

The 3rd African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) Summit of Heads of State and Government is a clear example of the solidarity that binds the ACP family, said the Trade Commissioner of the European Union, Pascal Lamy, in Denarau Nadi.

“It is also an example of the importance you attach to the deepening political, economic and trading relations between your countries and sub-region,” Mr, Lamy said yesterday.

Speaking on the launch of the September 2002 negotiations for the Economic and Partnership Agreements (EPA), in the context of the Cotonou Agreement, Mr. Lamy said the EPA offers the EU and ACP a unique framework allowing a link between a regular political dialogue, economic and trade co-operation and development aid.

“These agreements open up a new era.

“They are not traditional trade agreements but development agreements allowing us to put in place the Cotonou objectives of reducing poverty and inducing a process of sustainable development.”

Mr, Lamy said the Agreement will see the consolidation of a generous and stable access to the European market.

“Cotonou will help ACPs to better defend their interest in the establishment of multilateral rules, especially the organization of specific regional regimes in favour of developing countries.

“The negotiation of EPAs will also help you preserve the preferential access, which you currently benefit in the EU market,” Mr. Lamy told the ACP member countries.

He added that it will allow the mutual opening of the ACP markets through a wider integration among themselves.

“Regional integration is the means you have chosen to as witness the numerous integration initiatives currently on-going in the ACP family and which the European Commission supports since the first Lome Convention.

“Cotonou must give a new impetus to these initiatives.”

Mr. Lamy said the European Commission believes that regional integration is the main element in the national development strategies since it allows a progressive and harmonious integration in the world economy.

“The EU has already gone through this experience in its own process of integration.

Mr. Lamy said certain ACP initiatives aim at a mere sectoral cooperation, others aim at a deeper integration by creating a common political and economic space.

However, he said these initiatives will not succeed unless they mutually reinforce each other.