Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 249: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the Government will seek that the EU work with the 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries either to achieve at the WTO an extension of the Cotonou waiver or to change GATT Article XXIV in order that Europe can continue to give preferential access to poor countries; and his views on whether, in view of the fact that the EU 25 plus the ACP 77 constitute the vast majority of WTO members, this approach is not preferable to pushing ahead with reciprocal economic partnership agreements. [14153/05]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 250: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the assessment which the Government has undertaken of the impact upon industrial and agricultural producers in Ireland's priority aid countries of the entry into force of EPAs which the EU proposes will include full liberalisation of 90% of trade with the poorest countries. [14154/05]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 251: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the communications, meetings and other representations his Department has had with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment regarding the EU requests for opening of markets under the proposed EPAs; the number and date of each; and if he will make documents from these meetings available to Dáil Éireann. [14155/05]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 252: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the concerns his Department has raised with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in respect of the opening up of priority country markets to EU competition; and the areas of these markets which his Department has suggested be excluded from liberalisation. [14156/05]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 253: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the representation his Department has had at EU 133 committee meetings considering liberalisation of trade with priority countries under EPAs in view of the fact that EPAs are being framed in the context of the Cotonou partnership for development co-operation. [14157/05]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 254: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the consultations his Department has had with priority country Governments, the business community and civil society regarding their defensive interests in the EPA trade negotiations; the areas of concern which were highlighted through such consultations; the steps which have been taken by his Department to ensure that these interests are catered for in the EU position on EPAs. [14158/05]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 255: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the concerns his Department has regarding the regional groupings being established under EPAs; his views on whether Zambia, an Irish priority aid country, is forced by this process to decide between the two regional groups in which it has invested years of energy; his further views on whether it is appropriate for Europe, through EPAs, to bring about an effective redrawing of the economic map of Africa. [14159/05]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 256: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on whether there are parallels between, on one hand, the 19th century colonial exercise of the 1884 redivision of Africa and the simultaneous America for the Americans doctrine and, on the other, the contemporary redrawing of the economic map of Africa in EPAs and the parallel negotiation by the US of the free trade areas of the Americas. [14160/05]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 257: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department has made an assessment of industries in each of Ireland's priority countries which will most come under pressure through the liberalisation envisaged in EPAs; if he will identify these industries; the number of persons they employ; the capacity they have to adjust to competition from European exports inside the transition period; the level of unemployment in Ireland's priority aid countries which he expects will result from such liberalisation. [14161/05]

Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 258: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the industries in Mozambique which can sustain full opening up to competition from South Africa; the way in which this can be envisaged as a poverty reduction strategy consistent with the objectives of the Cotonou Agreement. [14162/05]

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 249 to 258, inclusive, together.

The economic partnership agreements, EPAs, which are to enter into force by 1 January 2008, are an integral element of the legally-binding Cotonou Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific, ACP, states and the European Union.

The EPAs are intended first and foremost as instruments for development to foster the smooth and gradual integration of ACP states into the world economy, with due regard for their own political choices and their own development priorities, thereby promoting their sustainable development and contributing to poverty eradication. They combine trade and wider development issues in a unified framework, while taking account of the specific economic, social and environmental circumstances of each regional group and its component states. I cannot see this approach as constituting a dilution of African sovereignty regarding its economic future. It seems to me that it addresses the particular concern of Ireland and other member states that development and poverty reduction should be the principle objectives of the EPAs.

As far as the impacts of liberalisation of trade are concerned, I draw the Deputy's attention to Article 37(7) of the Cotonou Agreement, which states that the negotiations on the EPAs

. . . shall take account of the level of development and the socio-economic impact of trade measures on ACP countries, and their capacity to adapt and adjust their economies to the liberalisation process. Negotiations will, therefore, be as flexible as possible in establishing the duration of a sufficient transitional period, the final product coverage, taking into account sensitive sectors, and the degree of asymmetry in terms of timetable for tariff dismantlement, while remaining in conformity with WTO rules then prevailing.

Under European Union regulations, it is the European Commission which conducts the EPA negotiations between the EU and six regional groupings of ACP states on behalf of the member states. The Commission provides the Council with regular updates on the progress of the negotiations. While Ireland, like other member states, does not participate in the ongoing EPA negotiations, we are satisfied that the Commission is discharging its mandate in accordance with the provisions of the Cotonou Agreement and in a manner which is sensitive to the particular concerns of the ACP States. As in all trade negotiations, the EPA discussions have brought to light differences of approach between the parties in a number of areas. It is to be hoped that, as the talks progress, these divergences can be resolved in accordance with the principles and objectives underlying the negotiations. Ireland is actively following the developments in the EPA negotiations and will continue to do so.

In Ireland, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment has primary responsibility for trade policy. An officer of that Department represents Ireland at meetings of the 133 committee, which normally meets once a month at the level of full members. An officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs also attends meetings of the 133 committee on a regular basis. Given the importance for Ireland of trade and trade relations with other countries, including those which are programme countries for Ireland's development cooperation programme, there is regular and on-going contact with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and other Departments, including the Department of Agriculture and Food, in preparing for meetings of the 133 committee and on questions relating to trade in general. Ireland is actively following the developments in the EPA negotiations and will continue to do so.

All of the programme countries in Ireland's bilateral aid programme — Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Timor Leste — are ACP states. In each of these countries, Ireland works in close co-operation with its partner government, other donors, the private sector and civil society to ensure coherence in our approach across a range of sectors. Among the issues discussed are the impact of EU policies, including EPAs, and the wider question of integration of LDCs into the international trading system. This approach will help build the economic infrastructure in these least developed countries, LDCs, which will lead to employment generation and ultimately to long-term sustainable development. The level of detail being sought by Deputy Upton in relation to employment in particular industries in sub-Saharan Africa and other related details are not available to me.

In common with most other countries in the southern Africa region, South Africa is Mozambique's main foreign investor, and strong trade links have developed between the two countries in recent years. It would not be appropriate for me to express a view on which specific industries in Mozambique, or indeed any other third country, could sustain competition from South Africa. Part of our overall engagement with the private sector in sub-Saharan Africa involves working to create a better climate for enterprise development and economic growth and involves efforts aimed at creating a more enabling international environment and improving coherence on trade and agriculture domestically.