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EU-ACPs - Commission approves EUR 50 million trade assistance Programme

Summary: July 25, 2003: EU-ACPs: Commission approves EUR 50 million trade assistance Programme Trade.com (Brussels)

The European Commission has approved Trade.Com, a € 50 million trade related assistance programme for Africa Caribean and Pacific countries. The programme will focus on creating the necessary capacities in ACP countries to benefit from increased trading opportunies.

Commenting on the new programme EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy, said: "We need to ensure that the benefits from better trading opportunities translate into growth and development. Aid is therefore the necessary complement to trade. In the run up to the WTO Ministerial meeting in Cancun, it sends a strong signal that the EU is ready to deliver on the commitments entered into under the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). Trade assistance is a key element of the EU-ACP Economic and Partnership Agreements currently being negotiated. I will have an opportunity to discuss this issue with ACP Trade Ministers when we meet on 31 July.

EU Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Mr. Poul Nielson, added: "Our ACP partners need both trade and aid. This new Programme will strengthen the ACP voice in multilateral or bilateral trade negotiations. It will complement our efforts under the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations to strengthen the trading capacity of the ACP States and help them to effectively use trade for their development."

Trade holds a great potential for growth and development. But many developing countries require assistance to fully benefit from this potential: assistance is needed to participate in trade negotiations, to integrate trade in development strategies, to produce to the required international standards and to develop the capacity to export. Building capacity is a key element in the on-going WTO talks under the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). It is also a major element of the on-going EU-ACP negotiations for the conclusion Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) under the Cotonou Agreement.

Trade.Com aims at responding to that need. It comprises three main components:

The programme is complementary to the trade assistance already provided to ACP countries and regions through the National and Regional Indicative Programmes.

Trade.Com will be implemented over the next 6 years.

Trade.Com will play a key role in supporting ACP countries to benefit from the increased trading opportunities provided by the WTO Doha Development Agenda, as well as the Economic Partnership Agreements with the EU.

Its broad and flexible spectrum of activities, the wide representation of stakeholders in the structure of the programme, the substantial funds earmarked and the intended co-ordination with other donors will ensure that Trade.Com plays a central role in the delivery of trade related assistance to ACPs.

Implementation will involve all relevant stakeholders such as the ACP regional integration organisations, the African Union and the ACP private sector and civil society.


Background

The EU is a lead provider of trade-related assistance. It has already provided more than € 2 billion in trade assistance for developing countries in the last 3 years. The EU is also the main contributor to the DDA Global Trust Fund in WTO (over 60% of the total amount).


For more information:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/index_en.htm

http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/index_en.cfm


  • Ref: EC03-209EN
  • EU source: European Commission
  • UN forum: 
  • Date: 25/7/2003


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See also
 

European Union Member States