Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 454: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of tariff lines under which Ireland's priority aid countries currently export into Europe; the number of those tariff lines already set at 0% tax; the value of that trade; the proportion this represents of total EU imports; the value of revenue collected from these; the number of new tariff lines that will be reduced to 0% tax under the new economic partnership agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5226/07]

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy's question refers to the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), I am providing the information requested in relation to the seven of the eight Irish Aid programme countries which are taking part in the EPA negotiations, namely Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Timor-Leste.

These seven Irish Aid programme countries are all Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and, therefore, benefit from the European Council Regulation of 1st March 2001. That Regulation amended the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences so as to extend duty and quota free access to all products, except arms and ammunition, originating in LDCs (known as the Everything but Arms Initiative (EBA). Notwithstanding this initiative, tariffs continue to be levied for the sensitive products of rice and sugar. Rice is due to be fully liberalised by September 2009 and sugar is scheduled to be fully liberalised by July 2009. For the moment, therefore, quotas remain in place for rice and sugar although these increase each year as the dates for full liberalisation approach. Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia did export sugar cane to the EU in 2005, but the amounts concerned were not sufficient to go over the quota and therefore attract a tariff.

All of the statistical information required by the Deputy is not immediately available from the European Commission. The best available information is as follows:

Ethiopia: Ethiopia exported € 282,841 worth of goods to the EU in 2005, which represented 0.02% of the EU's total imports. These goods were categorised under 18 tariff lines.

Lesotho: Lesotho exported €52,791 worth of goods to the EU in 2005, which represented only just over 0% of the EU's total imports. These goods were categorised under 3 tariff lines.

Mozambique: Mozambique exported €1,004,907 worth of goods to the EU in 2005, which represented 0.09% of the EU's total imports. These goods were categorised under 6 tariff lines.

Tanzania: Tanzania exported €318,482 worth of goods to the EU in 2005, which represented 0.03% of the EU's total imports. These goods were categorised under 21 tariff lines.

Timor-Leste: Timor-Leste exported €1,490 worth of goods to the EU in 2005, which represented just over 0% of the EU's total imports. These goods were categorised under 10 tariff lines.

Uganda: Uganda exported €301,016 worth of goods to the EU in 2005, which represented 0.03% of the EU's total imports. These goods were categorised under 13 tariff lines.

Zambia: Zambia exported €185,240 worth of goods to the EU in 2005, which represented 0.02% of the EU's total imports. These goods were categorised under 11 tariff lines.

The value of the revenue collected from the EU's trade with these countries is not immediately available from the European Commission). With regard to new tariff lines being reduced to 0% tax under the EPAs, as mentioned above, the Irish Aid programme countries involved in the negotiations are all LDCs and therefore already benefit from the quota and duty free scheme of the Everything but Arms initiative (EBA). In taking part in the EPA negotiations African Pacific Caribbean LDCs can build on their EBA access by exploiting the potential of being part of a larger market through the regional integration that the EPAs offer.

Ireland is following the EPA negotiations closely, in particular with regard to our Irish Aid Programme Countries, and will continue to urge that the negotiations result in agreements that are supportive of ACP countries' development needs and their poverty reduction efforts.