21997P0227(31)

JOINT ASSEMBLY OF THE CONVENTION CONCLUED BETWEEN THE AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC STATES AND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY (ACP-EC)

RESOLUTION () on sugar

The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,

- meeting in Luxembourg from 23 to 26 September 1996,

A. reaffirming its resolution on sugar adopted during the 22nd Session held in Windhoek (Namibia) from 18 to 22 March 1996,

B. recalling the resolutions adopted in this regard by the 63rd Session of the ACP Council of Ministers held in Apia (Western Samoa) from 24 to 26 June 1996,

C. stressing the importance to its signatory States of sugar exported to the EU under the Sugar Protocol and the Special Preferential Sugar (SPS) agreement,

D. reiterating the ACP's commitment to supply the EU raw cane sugar requirements under the terms and conditions of the Protocol and the SPS agreement, and the mutual benefit to the contracting parties,

E. noting that the sugar industry has made significant contributions to socio-economic development, and to the furtherance of democracy, good governance and the rule of law and hence political stability of the States concerned,

F. noting also that the ACP are still awaiting an offer on the guaranteed price applicable to the 1996/97 marketing period,

G. concerned about the adverse effect of the EU's restrictive pricing policy on the ACP sugar industries which are affected, inter alia, by imported inflation,

H. recognizing that ACP Ministers responsible for sugar have already devised a plan of action to take their industries to a higher level of efficiency and competitiveness and considering that this will entail an additional cost to the ACP,

I. concerned that there is still no commitment from the EU with regard to assistance in alleviating the burden of high transport cost despite the evidence that there are contributing factors over which the ACP have no control,

J. noting the developments of EU negotiations on free trade agreements with various third countries and other trading blocs which include sugar producing countries,

1. Calls on the EU:

(i) to fully recognize the importance of the sugar industries to the economies of the ACP States concerned and the contribution made to their socio-economic development;

(ii) to ensure that the price offered for ACP sugar takes fully into account the socio-economic factors submitted in the annual memorandum by the ACP States signatory to the sugar protocol;

(iii) to give due consideration to the findings of the 1992 sugar transport cost study and initiate action to assist the ACP in alleviating the burden of high transport cost;

(iv) to ensure that its commitment to the ACP signatory States is not affected by any free trade agreements or trade liberalization treaties with third countries or other trading blocs by including sugar in the list of sensitive products to be excluded from trade or by establishing some other provision with and equivalent effect;

2. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council and the Commission.