ACP Talks secure Trade Agreements Feb04 |
Following this
week's ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Addis Ababa, agreements have
been secured on trade and development. Discussions
between the 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries and their European
Parliament counterparts have resulted in agreement on cotton and other
commodities to ensure appropriate measures are taken to protect ACP
countries that are dependent on banana, sugar, rice and cotton exports. Bashir Khanbhai
MEP, Conservative ACP Spokesman in the European Parliament, said: "This week we have succeeded in pushing the European
Commission to launch an action plan to help ACP cotton producers. The plan
allows for compensation for loss of income resulting in depressed cotton
prices owing to overproduction in the US and China. Although the EU supports its Greek and Spanish cotton farmers, the
EU is a net importer of cotton overall. The problems faced by Western and
Central African cotton growing countries have been aggravated by the US
and China subsidising their farmers and exporting huge quantities
world-wide, thereby suppressing prices. It essential that the EU and ACP countries develop better
management of the global cotton market."
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