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Mr. Gibb
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of cumulate origin for industrial products in advancing economic and political stability in the Middle East region. [108646]
Mr. MacShane
The EU envisages cumulative rules of origin in cooperation with its trading partners in the Middle East who are participants in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. These rules are being implemented and Euro-Med trade ministers have asked for an update on progress in implementation at their next meeting in the second half of 2003. A subsequent assessment of their impact will then be possible.