Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The issue of trade with the developing countries is dealt with under the heading, economic partnership agreements, and is not dealt with through the World Trade Organization. Structures are place to deal with this issue and a significant amount of work was done during the Irish Presidency to advance it. The economic partnership agreements, EPAs, were originally established in 2000. Trying to negotiate preferential deals with the developing countries of the African, Caribbean and Pacific, ACP, region outside the WTO framework has been a long, arduous and painful process, which has been ongoing for 13 years. This year, under the Irish Presidency, the European Parliament voted to set October 2014 as the deadline for concluding negotiations on economic partnership agreements between the European Union and the countries concerned. This issue is now in the melting pot.

By and large, the position of the Irish Presidency was that much has happened since 2000 and circumstances have changed. Over the years, non-governmental organisations have expressed concern that the ACP countries would not secure as fair a deal as might be warranted. Many of the countries in question have prospered, if that is the correct word, or made significant economic advances in the meantime and are now very much involved in the marketplace. This is probably the last opportunity to ensure a preferential deal is done between the ACP countries and European Union outside the remit of the World Trade Organization. If a deal is not reached by October 2014, the whole process will fall apart and move within the ambit or remit of the WTO. There is significant momentum at present to reach deals with the various blocs, for example, the Southern Africa Development Community, SADC, the Economic Community of West African States, ECWAS, the Economic Community of Central African States, ECCAS, and individual countries. Negotiations are ongoing and we hope a resolution will be found before the deadline provided by the European Parliament and other European institutions expires.