Visit of Commissioner Nielson to the Pacific

Poul Nielson, European Commissioner for Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Aid, will visit the Pacific region, New Zealand and Australia from 1 October to 14 October.

The Commissioner's first trip to the Pacific gives him the opportunity to gain first hand experience of progress made and challenges faced by the Pacific countries of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group. He will also sign the Pacific Regional Indicative Programme which outlines EU co-operation with the region for the period 2002-2007 and is worth €29 million. Mr. Nielson will have discussions with his counterparts on the political and economic situations of the Pacific island countries, focussing particularly on the stated policy of advancing their integration into the regional and world economies. The meetings will also cover important development issues, including good governance, conflict prevention, and the sustainable and equitable exploitation of natural resources, such as fisheries and forests.

Total EU assistance to the region has amounted to more than €1.3 billion since 1975 and is running at about €100 million per year. A further €350 million is planned for the next 5 years under the Cotonou Agreement.

Given the geography of the Pacific, the Commissioner's mission will cover five of the 14 Pacific countries, which are members of the ACP group. These five countries are Papua New Guinea (Melanesia), Samoa (Polynesia), Tonga (Polynesia), Fiji (Melanesia) and the Federated States of Micronesia, which is one of the six new Pacific countries in the ACP group. Mr Nielson will also meet with the Development Ministers in New Zealand and Australia to discuss aid issues.In each country, the Commissioner will meet the political leadership to discuss a wide-range of issues concerning development co-operation, especially against the background of recent UN conferences on financing (Monterrey, March 2002) and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. There will also be meetings with EU Member States, regional groupings, civil society, the press and academia as well as field trips to EU funded projects.

During the trip, Mr. Nielson will sign the Pacific Regional Indicative Programme worth €29 million for the period 2002-2007 with the Secretary-General of the Pacific Forum, Noel Levi, in his capacity as European Development Fund regional Officer. This document provides a comprehensive framework for EU-Pacific co-operation, concentrating on the region's efforts at trade and economic integration as well as other sectors such as human resource development and fisheries.

Commissioner Nielson starts his visit to the region in Samoa (1 to 3 October) where he will meet with the Prime Minister, the Honourable Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, and other Ministers. Mr. Nielson will also visit EU funded projects. The EU has already spent over €80 million in Samoa since co-operation began. Samoa is widely regarded as a success story in the Pacific in terms of political stability, economic progress and effective use of EU money.

In Tonga (4 October), Mr. Nielson will meet the Prime Minister. EU aid to Tonga since co-operation began amounts to €45 million.

Whilst in Fiji (4 October to 6 October), Mr. Nielson will meet with Prime Minister Qarase, who is also currently the chair of the ACP group and of the Pacific group. With free and fair elections having been held in August 2001, there has been a partial return to democracy since the coup that took place in May 2000. The amount of EU aid committed to Fiji amounts to €113.6 million but a further €23.1 million remains suspended until constitutional issues have been solved. Mr. Nielson will also meet Fiji's former Prime Minister, Mr. Mahendra Chaudry.

Mr. Nielson will visit Papua New Guinea, the largest country in the region, from 9-11 October where he will meet the Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, and other Government Ministers. A field visit will be made to Bougainville where the peace agreement was recently signed after 10 years of civil conflict. EU aid to Papua New Guinea amounts to €489 million since the start of co-operation.

The visit to the Federated States of Micronesia (12-13 October) will be symbolic of the Commissioner's welcome to the six new Pacific countries, which are signatories to the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement.

Mr. Nielson will make stopovers in New Zealand (7 October) and Australia (8-9 October) where he will meet with the respective Ministers for Development and top aid officials. They will discuss ways in which closer aid co-operation can improve the overall impact of donor assistance to the Pacific and contribute more effectively to poverty alleviation and economic growth.

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