The European Parliament successfully passed two of the eight agreements in the current negotiations on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) - with the Cariforum (Caribbean) countries and with the Ivory Coast.

With the Parliament´s assent a full EPA (encompassing goods and services) between the EU and Cariforum and an Interims-EPA (ecompassing only goods) with the Ivory Coast are thus now ratified.

Erika Mann, Coordinator of the Social Democratic Party in the International Trade Committee, sees yesterday's vote as a success. The new agreements guarantee that the legal basis of the old agreements will be safeguarded and it transforms them into WTO-conform agreements. Most importantly, with the new EPAs the Commission has guaranteed all ACP-countries (if they want) full flexibility on the review clause, the treatment of sensitive topics, the timeframe of negotiations, the possibility to reach the same commitments that are given to other countries and the possibility to work towards a regional approach while allowing country-specific differentiation. Such a flexible approach is essential when moving from the interim to full agreements. The new agreements also include Aid for Trade provisions referring to financial commitments by the EU and the Member States of the EU.

As agreements between the EU and the ACP-countries come into force, Social Democratic MEPs are determined to keep up pressure on the European Commission to ensure that the economic development of the 78 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries remains a priority.

Erika Mann had recommended voting for the Cariforum and the Cote d´Ivoire. In both cases the agreement can not enter into force without the Parliament's assent. However, "this vote is not a blank cheque and it does not mean that we will automatically give our go ahead to the agreements which will follow," said Erika Mann. Concerning Central-Africa, East-African states, East- and South African states, Ghana, Pacific states and the Southern African Development Community, the Parliament submitted political guidelines in the form of resolutions, which were also passed in yesterday's votes. Erika Mann concludes: "We want these agreements to help the development of these countries, to help their struggles to end poverty, and to help their integration in the economies of the region around them and their integration in the global economy." With yesterday's vote she sees an important step taken in achieving these goals in the interest of the ACP-countries.

Background:

Since 23 June 2000 the so-called Cotonou-agreement was the basis for the trade agreements with ACP-states. This demanded that by 31 December 2007 preferential agreements must be transferred into Economic Partnership Agreements. Not all states or groups of states were willing to sign a full EPA. So far the Council only asked the Parliament for assent in the case of Côte d'Ivoire and Cariforum. Hence, only in these two cases recommendations for assent were expressed. In the other cases the EP is waiting for the Council's official request for assent and/or the signing of the remaining interim-EPAs. The assent-procedure for the remaining six interim-EPAs will take place in the next legislature.

Erika Mann is available for an interview or to provide more information. Please turn to her office in Brussels: Johanna Hasting, Tel.: +32 (0)2 - 284 51 91, Email: erika.mann@europarl.europa.eu , or the office in Hannover: Henning Hofmann, +49 (0) 511 1674 268, Email europabuero-erika.mann@spd.de