20th MEETING OF THE ACP-EC COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

The 20th ordinary meeting of the ACP­EC Council of Ministers was held on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 November 1995 in the Octave Wiehe Auditorium at the University of Mauritius, chaired by Mr Javier SOLANA, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Spain, President­in­Office of the Council of the European Union, and Mr Moi AVEI, Minister for Planning of Papua New Guinea, President­in­Office of the ACP Council of Ministers.

The European Commission was represented by Mr João de Deus PINHEIRO, Member.

The Council reviewed implementation of the Convention in the various areas of ACP­EC cooperation.

In trade cooperation, the Council looked more specifically at certain issues concerning the common organization of the Community market in bananas, particularly in connection with the accession to the European Union of Austria, Finland and Sweden on 1 January 1995. It also noted the recent measures adopted by the European Community as regards the Community market for ACP rum, to be fully liberalized as of 1 January 2000.

On STABEX, the Council discussed a request by Sudan to obtain the STABEX transfers frozen since the suspension of cooperation with Sudan. The Community stated that it could not resume cooperation relations with Sudan until the country had made real progress towards greater respect for human rights and democracy. Also in the STABEX field, the Council took note of a request by the Tongan delegation for the inclusion of squash pumpkins in the list of STABEX products. The Community explained the reasons for which it was unable to agree to that request.

On sugar, the Council took note of a statement by the Mauritian delegation welcoming the recent solutions to certain problems arising in connection with the Protocol on           sugar - concluded twenty years ago - annexed to the Convention.

The Council also noted the discussions of the ministerial Commodities Committee, which had met on the morning of 3 November. In reply to some queries on the ACP side, it was confirmed that there were no Commission proposals to amend the current legislation regarding the use of vegetable fats other than cocoa butter in the manufacture of chocolate.

In development finance cooperation, the Council adopted, on the basis of a recommendation from the ministerial Development Finance Cooperation Committee, which had also met on the morning of 3 November, a report and a Resolution on the implementation of development finance cooperation in 1994, including joint evaluations. The Council also reached agreement on a report and a Decision concerning revision of the list of least­developed countries in Article 330 of the Convention. The purpose of such revision was to adjust the list in accordance with United Nations criteria and arrangements, as envisaged by the Resolution of the ACP­EC Council of Ministers, meeting in Mbabane (Swaziland) in May 1994.

The Council noted the Resolutions adopted by the Joint Assembly at its last two meetings, in Dakar and in Brussels. In response to a specific call by the Joint Assembly to assist Somalia, the Council instructed the Committee of Ambassadors to consider all appropriate measures to enable Somalia to participate in arrangements and mechanisms under the Convention.

The Council also adopted a number of measures in connection with the revised Convention signed on 4 November (see press release ACP­CE 2176/95 Presse 314), pending its entry into force after completion of ratification procedures by Convention Member States and once assent has been given by the European Parliament.

It accordingly:

- adopted a Decision on transitional measures to be applied from 1 March 1995 following the expiry of the financial protocol to the 7th EDF;

- agreed to the Protocol to the 4th ACP­EC Convention consequent on the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden to the European Union and adopted a Decision concerning the provisional application of that Protocol;

- delegated powers to the ACP­EC Committee of Ambassadors to draw up and adopt transitional measures for the advance implementation of certain provisions of the revised Convention in order for them to enter into force on 1 January 1996.

Lastly, Ministers held a very constructive informal discussion on some problems of mutual interest such as the situation in Somalia and in South and southern Africa, the problem of indebtedness by ACP States and rehabilitation. Some twenty speakers took part in the discussion.