Minister Lehtomäki: Developing countries need cooperation promoting trade
Press release 481/2006
22 November, 2006
Development cooperation that promotes trade is an important element of the relations between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific, or ACP, countries. The EU is committed to targeting a large share of the trade and development assistance pledged by Member States to these countries. The EU already gives considerable support to productive sectors and infrastructure in the ACP countries. Member States now strive to increase their development aid, providing opportunities to increase support for trade and development, said Paula Lehtomäki, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development on Wednesday, 22 November at the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
Minister Lehtomäki is attending the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly held in Barbados on 20–23 November. She is representing the Council of the European Union during the time set aside for questions when Members of the European Parliament and the Parliaments of ACP countries can put their questions to the EU Council. The meeting deals with development cooperation issues linked with partnership agreements between the EU and the ACP nations. On the agenda are, among others, the Eastern African situation, the economic partnership agreements, or EPAs, between the EU and the ACP states, and matters pertaining to the environment and social development. The meeting will conclude with approval of Declarations and the presentation of recommendations.
According to Minister Lehtomäki, the EU and the ACP countries are joined by trade relations and a strong partnership for development. This development partnership can accomplish good results at the global level by means of a coherent policy. One of the most important objective of Finland’s EU Presidency has been to intensify and improve the coherence of EU external relations.
In the October General Affairs and External Relations Council, for the first time ever, the Ministers responsible for trade and for development decided to promote the Aid for Trade initiative. The EU–ACP Economic Partnership Agreements were also on the agenda. In order for the EPAs to promote development in the partner countries in the best possible way, we need more than an increase in development assistance. Development assistance cannot replace the benefits of economic growth achieved through development of trade and investments, Minister Lehtomäki pointed out.
In the Minister’s view, environmental challenges are a major burden for the ACP states, and climate change threatens to eradicate the development these nations have achieved. Countries which are the least responsible for environmental change often suffer the most from it. Caribbean and Pacific nations are beset by hurricanes and typhoons; Africa is plagued by ever more severe droughts. In June the EU and ACP states approved a Joint Declaration on climate change and development. We must be able to respond to the challenges posed by climate change as part of social and economic development, she continued.
The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly gathers together Members of the European Parliament and Parliamentary representatives from African, Caribbean and Pacific region nations. The European Commission and the European Council are also represented at the meeting. The Assembly is regularly held twice a year. The previous Assembly took place in Vienna in June.
Additional information: Project Assistant Anna Malinen, Department for Development Policy at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6389; and Satu Mäki, Special Advisor to the Minister, tel. +358 9 1605 6306