(CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana) European Union (EU) Commissioner for Trade, Mr. Peter Mandelson expressed strong support for the Caribbean's economic concerns surrounding the erosion of trade preference for sugar, but he urged the Region to forge ahead with a concrete plan of action to sustain the Region's vital agriculture sector.
At a media briefing on Thursday 6 January 2005 in Georgetown, Guyana, following discussions with the Caribbean's Ministers of Trade the EU Commissioner for Trade said his organisation is committed to the advancement of trade and economic development with its African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) partners.
Noting that his talks with Regional officials focused on heavily on sugar, Mr. Mandelson pointed out that the EU is cognisant of the challenges facing the sugar sector and the need for EU policy adjustment with regard to these challenges. He called on the Region's Trade Ministers to advance talks with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in the months ahead.
“My strong message is that we need a high level of ambition, and in particular for the Ministerial of the WTO in Hong Kong in December,” stated Mr. Mandelson. He declared: ''We will put forward development assistance measures to increase the competitiveness of the industry in sugar producing countries to support its diversification.”
With the EU's earlier announcement that it was phasing out the Region's preferential treatment enjoyed since 1975, sugar producers are now challenged to diversify this sector.
According to Commissioner Mandelson, the EU is open to dialogue with ACP countries to arrive at agreements specifically to sugar producers and banana suppliers.
On the issue of the diminishing preferences for bananas on the European market, the Caribbean's Ministerial Spokesperson on EU negotiations and Senior Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Barbados, Dame Billie Miller said Member States of the Caribbean are already harnessing their resources in the sugar sector to diversify output.
Meanwhile, in response to the Mr. Mandelson's call for deepened intra-Regional cooperation in the areas of shipping, business and finance, Dame Billie Miller, remarked that much of the activity pursued in these areas originate in the North. She however, noted that significant progress has been made with respect to South-South cooperation involving the Caribbean and other developing countries in the Southern hemisphere.
Contact:
Rose Blenman
Email: rblenman@caricom.org
