Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the progress that has been made on bilateral economic partnership agreements between the EU and third countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44640/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Since 2002, the EU has been negotiating a series of new Economic Partnership Agreements with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States. The Agreements are required as a result of World Trade Organisation (WTO) rulings that the unilateral trade preferences previously granted to the ACP countries established unfair discrimination between developing countries. The negotiations have been protracted, and at times difficult. By the end of 2007, when a WTO waiver expired, one full Agreement had been concluded with Caribbean States and seven interim Agreements were agreed and initialled with 21 other ACP States, either individually or in regional groupings. Negotiations towards full Agreements are continuing. Several years ago, there were well-founded concerns that momentum was being lost in the process and that the original shared commitment to the achievement of Agreements which serve the development needs of African countries was being lost. However, agreement was reached at the EU-Africa Summit in November 2010 that both sides should move “to conclude Economic Partnership Agreements that support socioeconomic development, regional integration and the integration of Africa into the global economy”.

The European Commission last year engaged actively and flexibly in renewed negotiations with the ACP countries at the regional level. The Commission also made a proposal in September 2011 to set a deadline of 1 January 2014 for the conclusion of the negotiations. The European Parliament has given a first reading to the Commission proposal and has voted to recommend an extension of the proposed deadline to 1 January 2016. The proposal is currently under consideration by the Council of Trade Ministers. At their meeting last March, the EU Trade Ministers acknowledged the need for flexibility and pragmatism on both sides to find solutions to outstanding issues.

Throughout the process of negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements, the Government has at all stages made it clear that Ireland supports a negotiating approach that is as flexible as possible under WTO law and underlines the importance of a strong partnership approach. We will continue to work for the conclusion of Agreements which serve the development needs of our developing country partners.