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MITCHELL APPEALS FOR SENSE OF URGENCY ON BANANA ISSUE

Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Rt Hon Sir James Mitchell will urge his colleague Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) “to act soon to finalise proposals” to put forward to the European Union (EU) in respect of the changes to the EU’s Banana Regime following the ruling by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Sir James was speaking on Thursday following the completion of the first of the CARICOM Heads of Government Missions to Europe and the United States to hold discussions with EU leaders and officials with respect to the Caribbean position on the banana issue. The decision to mount the Missions was taken at the Sixth Special Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM following the WTO final ruling on the banana protocol in early April. The Special Meeting took place in Santo Domingo during the Summit of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS)on April 16 – 17.

While on his visit to Brussels, Belgium, Sir James met with EU Commissioners including Commission President, M. Jacques Santer, Vice President, Sir Leon Brittan, Transport Commissioner, Mr Neil Kinnock and Agriculture Commissioner, Herr Franz Fischler. He also met with influential Members of the European Parliament.

Arising out of the Meetings, it was learnt that the EU would not appeal the latest findings of the WTO Panel and was instead preparing its proposals to revise the Regime to meet a deadline of May 31, 1999 for consideration by the EU Council of Ministers. With European Parliamentary elections due in June and the current group of Commissioners demitting office in September, the situation assumes great urgency. Also it was learnt that the Europeans are already paying monthly costs of US $16 million to the United States due to the ruling.

The Prime Minister said his visit had been most timely and opportune in the light of those factors and that the Region must act soon. He added that there may be need for an early meeting of the Regional political directorate to finalise our proposals and present them to the Europeans in time for consideration by the Commission before the submission of its proposals to the EU Council of Ministers set for May 31.

Sir James said there was a sense of urgency in Brussels and that the current group of Commissioners were sympathetic to the ACP cause in this issue. He had been accorded a very positive reception by both the Commissioners and the Parliamentarians and there had been commonality of views on the banana issue, particularly in the discussions on what would not work in the current situation, he said.

Sir James, who was accompanied by Jamaica’s Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the Hon. Anthony Hylton, the Caribbean Chief Negotiator, Sir Shridath Ramphal, OECS Ambassador to the EU, Mr Edwin Laurent and CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General for Regional Trade and Economic Integration, Mr Byron Blake, advanced the view that as the Europeans and the US tried to find a solution to the problems of the banning of US beef from Europe and of aircraft noise which threatened the aviation industry on both sides of the Atlantic the spirit of compromise which was called for could hopefully also benefit the banana issue.

Saint Lucia Prime Minister Dr the Hon Kenny Anthony is expected to be the second CARICOM leader to undertake a similar mission to Paris.

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