Mr. Eberhard Stahn - Delegate, Delegation of the Commission of European Communities in Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain

"The European Union and FTAs with Developing Countries."

Comments

Dr. Gonzales wondered, in light of the large number of countries which had applied and were being considered for admission to the EU, about the criteria for joining free trade areas, especially the EU.

Mr. Stahn replied that there were no specific criteria for entry to the Union, each case was considered individually. He expressed the opinion that there was no reason why Caribbean countries wishing to join should be refused.

Dr. Moore asked about the EU's position on ACP states entering the Union.

Mr. Stahn's view was that there was no specific position on these states' entry into the Union.

Dr. Moore asked why the EU had designed a specific mechanism for peripheral states outside Europe. He also contended that the Union's distinction between peripheral and ultra-peripheral states was discriminatory.

This policy was an inheritance of the EU's colonial past, explained Mr. Stahn. This discrimination was applied to not only to countries of the ACP but also to some European states.

A question was asked about the status of negotiations between the EU and Cuba.

Mr. Stahn said that preliminary talks, covering both trade and donor agreements, had been held and Cuba had not indicated that it would jeopardise this agreement in any way.

Someone asked whether FTA negotiations with South Africa had broken down.

Mr. Stahn replied that they had not broken down but had been temporarily suspended. South Africa had argued for the inclusion of all agricultural products in the preferential agreement but the Commission would not agree to this.