Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 422: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of tariff lines that ACP countries export into Europe; the number of those tariff lines that are 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 to be reduced to 0% tax under the new Economic Partnership Agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12500/07]

Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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All 78 ACP countries come under the terms of the Cotonou Agreement, which includes provision for duty free access for most goods to the EU. Within the ACP group there are 41 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) that benefit from the European Council Regulation of 1st of 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. This Regulation is known as the Everything But Arms Initiative. 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.

All of the statistical information required by the Deputy, including the revenue collected from the EU's trade with the ACP countries, is not immediately available from the European Commission.

The best available information is that ACP countries exported € 36,033,520 worth of goods to the EU in 2005, which represented 3.05% of the EU's total imports. These goods were categorised under 29 tariff lines. Nearly 97% of ACP exports to the EU do not attract tariffs. The remaining 3% are subject to "Most Favoured Nation" duties.