Select Committee on Business and Enterprise Minutes of Evidence


Examination of Witnesses (Questions 60-61)

LORD JONES OF BIRMINGHAM AND MR GARETH THOMAS MP

8 JANUARY 2008

  Q60  Mr Weir: You have talked about the process from now and you have talked about agreeing a timescale. Do you have in mind a timescale for bringing this to a conclusion? Is it going to run parallel to Doha? Is it now a completely different process? Is it dependent on what happens at Doha?

  Mr Thomas: It does not depend on what happens at Doha, although that is obviously part of the backdrop. I do not have a fixed timescale in mind. President Barroso did give a commitment at the EU-Africa summit that there would be a high level review discussion with each of the six regions in the first part of this year. We are obviously concentrating on looking at those discussions and what happens. As to when there will be agreement concluded on services, on investment conditions, et cetera, I do not have a fixed timescale. We will talk to our partners in those countries and see what support, if any, they want to take forward those discussions. I think that meeting in late January or February, whenever it happens, with each of those six regions will be key to us understanding what particular timescales those developing countries in the ACP have.

  Q61  Mr Weir: You mentioned looking at how the interim EPAs are working. Given you have more or less accepted there is a rush to sign before the end of the year, if those interim EPAs show up particular problems for particular countries, is there a process for amending them quickly to deal with these problems outside this lengthy negotiation for full EPAs?

  Mr Thomas: If there are problems with interim EPAs then I would expect to hear about those problems quickly. I think the high level review meetings that I have said the Commission have given a commitment that they will organise provide the first opportunity to have those discussions, but I have no doubt that some of the ministers that I met, who were extremely able and capable negotiators for their countries, if there were problems, they will raise them with us and, indeed, with Commissioner Mandelson and other Member States too.

  Chairman: We do have to move on. This is a really important area. This is the beginning of our Committee's re-engagement with the trade issues. We do not want to duplicate the House of Lords Committee's inquiry. We are going to Brussels in three weeks' time. We will come back and do some more questions at a later date because we realise the importance of it. Thank you for the answers you have given us so far. I did want to bring Digby Jones in on this as well and I am afraid I cannot because of time, but thank you for those answers.





 
previous page contents

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2008
Prepared 30 April 2008