Path to European markets no easy street
Unresolved issues delay development of economic partnership agreement with Europe

Pacific nations have been asked to ensure that any Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA)with the European Commission (EC) are centred on the objective of reducing and eventually eradicating poverty, consistent with the objectives of sustainable development and gradual integration of pacific nations into the world economy.
That was the message from Dr Jimmie Rodgers, Director General of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) to Pacific Trade Ministers meeting in PNG on 9 August for the Pacific ACP meeting to consider recent developments in the negotiations with the EC.
The meeting was convened by the SPC and chaired by Tonga’s Minister for Labour, Commerce and Industries Hon Lisiate Akolo.
Deputy Prime Minister Hon Tom Marsters represented the Cook Islands.
Obtaining access to European markets for Pacific products has been no easy task. It has been a time consuming exercise requiring the navigation of EC policies, procedures and standards.
Neroni Slade, Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, told Ministers the EC is not interested in meeting with the Pacific Region or offering the region flexibilities on contentious issues unless the region submitted revised market access offers in the required format.
Slade said eight countries had submitted conditional market access offers to the European Union (EU) and work continues in the remaining four to develop their offers.
Slade added that the offers submitted by the eight countries are conditional on the satisfactory resolution of a number of unresolved contentious issues, including the issue of development cooperation provisions, export taxes, infant industry, standstill clause, the most favoured nation provisions, the non-execution clause, taxation and governance issues, market access and rules of origin for fisheries products, and other matters of great importance to the Pacific. He said Ministers would also consider a number of issues related to aid for trade, including the establishment of the Pacific Trade and Development Facility and the further development of the Pacific Aid for Trade Strategy.
In session one on market access offers, Ministers considered an update on the progress of the market access offers. The Forum Secretariat had provided assistance to 12 nations to convert their tariff to use the Harmonised System (HS) 2007 classifications and to gather the recent three year trade data to complete market access offers. 11 nations are now compliant and have recent data.
The Cook Islands along with FSM, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu were congratulated for submitting revised draft conditional market access offers to the EU and the Forum Secretariat was thanked for assisting
Ministers considered the recommendations arising from the Joint Meeting of Trade and Fisheries Ministers the day before on Fisheries.
Ministers considered options for negotiating EPAs and progressing resolution of the contentious issues.
They also considered matters relating to Kava exports as a beverage and medicine and its importance to the economies of Fiji, FSM, Samoa, Solomons and Tonga.
Ministers also considered a revised road map to conclude negotiations of the comprehensive EPA. -Charles Pitt

Headlines : Times 290 02 March 2009
- Lucky $1,000 winner
- Century old palm trees and the French connection
- Koutu Nui takes part in Raui meeting in Moorea
- WOM Award Dinner for Ake Hosea-Winterflood
- Island of Atiu to host Koutu Nui AGM in June 2009