EU And Pacific ACP States Resume Tuna Trade Negotiationsff

Source: PacNews

Following a pause of three years, trade negotiations between the Pacific region and the European Union (EU) on the conclusion of a comprehensive regional Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) were resumed during the first week of this month in Brussels.

The Pacific delegation comprised representatives from all Pacific ACP states, including Papua New Guinea.

Negotiations covered a wide range of subjects such as trade in goods, services and investment, sanitary and phyto-sanitary requirements, fisheries and trade related development cooperation.

Positions were narrowed on a number of points while some important questions still remain to be settled.

The next round of negotiations is expected to be held next March.

 Ambassador and head of the EU delegation to PNG Martin Dihm, said: “The EU warmly welcomes the progress made during the negotiations in Brussels.

“We remain open to continuing and concluding the negotiations with the Pacific region as fast as possible to find an optimal outcome that helps integration and development.”

“In parallel, the EPA arrangement already concluded between the union and Papua New Guinea continues to attract tuna investors to PNG and to deliver on development.”

“It remains open for accession to the other countries in the Pacific.”

EPA negotiations between the EU and the Pacific region were opened in 2004 and are ongoing.

In 2007, PNG initialled an agreement called interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA), with the EU.

This was signed in 2009 and ratified by the European parliament in 2010 and the parliament of PNG last year.

While “interim” by its name, the agreement is concluded for an indefinite period.

It offers completely free access for all PNG products, especially tuna products, to the EU.

With its 500 million citizens, the EU market is the most-lucrative in the world.

Within the iEPA, the union grants a special exemption to PNG that promotes investment and processing of tuna and other fish in PNG before export (“global sourcing”).

It is estimated that by 2016 some 53,000 jobs will have been created in connection with the currently expanding tuna processing industry in PNG. This corresponds to roughly 7% of PNG’s formal workforce.