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African Trade

Volume 406: debated on Tuesday 3 June 2003

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To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what joint action has been taken by EU G8 members to address the impact of the CAP mid-term review on developing countries; what new initiatives to reduce the EU agricultural subsidies and improve market access to the EU for African countries have been proposed by EU G8 members; and which of these initiatives will be taken by the EU to the WTO Cancun Ministerial. [113646]

CAP reform proposals are formally discussed at the EU Agriculture Council where all EU G8 members play their full part. Market access, domestic and export subsidies are being addressed as part of the current WTO agriculture negotiations which are aimed at substantial improvements in market access; reductions of, with a view to phasing out, all forms of export subsidies; and substantial reductions in trade-distorting domestic support.The EU already offers duty and quota free access to all Least Developed Countries (LDC), of which 34 are in Africa. The EU is currently negotiating new Economic Partnership Agreements with all ACP countries, including 14 non LDC ACP countries in Africa. The UK is pushing for the EU to offer ACP countries duty and quota free access to EU markets as a result of these negotiations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what new proposals have been made by G8 members to eliminate tariff escalation and peaks relating to goods of particular interest to Africa; and which of those proposals will be supported by the EU at the WTO Cancun Ministerial. [113647]

G8 members have made no new proposals to eliminate tariff escalation or tariff peaks on goods of particular interest to Africa in the G8. However, the impact of tariff escalation and peaks on Developing Countries is being discussed as part of the current Round of WTO agriculture negotiations currently taking place in Geneva, and G8 members are discussing trade and development issues in the run up to the next G8 summit at Evian in June.The EU wishes to see an outcome to the WTO agriculture negotiations which significantly reduces tariff escalation on products originating in and of particular interest to developing countries by reducing the level of relevant ad valorem and specific tariff protection. The EU has, also called for all developed and advanced developing countries to introduce duty and quota free access for all Least Developing Countries, as the EU has already done under Everything but Arms. The EU will pursue these aims at the next WTO Ministerial in Cancun.