EU: ACP dismayed over sugar agreement with South America
Published: 03/19/2010, 12:17:29 PM
The ACP countries have written to the European Union expressing their concern on its recent sugar agreement with Peru and Columbia, according to Fiji Times.
The letter authored by Patrick Gomes of Guyana who is also the chairman of the ACP Consultative Group on Sugar on March 15 accused the EU of not respecting provisions under the Cotonou Partnership Agreement and European Partnership Agreements.
In particular, the countries were concerned they were not consulted and that the EU agreement with the Latin American countries would be "potentially disastrous consequences this may have on the sugar industries".
The Pacific's agreement with the EU is a minimum tonnage of 210,000, however, Fiji exported over 220,000 tonnes in the last season.
Gomes explained that most countries had signed EPAs on the broad assumption of the long term outlook for the EU sugar market including the maintenance of a stable EU sugar market.
"On these assumptions and in order to adapt to the reform of the EU sugar regime, many ACP industries embarked on the implementation of painful reforms including the multi annual adaptation strategies for their sugar sectors," Gomes said.
"Their implementation requires heavy investments and in this respect have benefitted from EU accompanying measures and in some cases European Investment Bank support. But unilaterally changing in terms of international agreements negotiated in good faith, the proposed concessions of Latin American countries would negatively impact on the economic development value of the EPAs and will alter the rights and obligations of the parties enshrined in these agreements.
"Such an approach is unacceptable and puts into question the coherence of the EU policy."
An EU official however said the countries were consulted and were fully aware of these negotiations.