EU signs deal with African, Caribbean, Pacific group to fight terrorism

Monday, June 27, 2005

LUXEMBOURG (AFP): The European Union on Saturday signed a deal with the 79-nation African, Caribbean, and Pacific group (ACP) of developing countries to boost cooperation in battling terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The two sides reached the agreement at a ministerial meeting in Luxembourg, despite fears by the ACP group that proposed EU changes in its sugar sector could cripple their local industries.

"The ACP-EU relationship has become a true political alliance and this is only the beginning," said EU development commissioner Louis Michel.

In revising the 2000 Cotonou agreement that regulates ties between the two groupings, they also agreed to establish a "formal and systematic" political dialogue on human rights, democracy, and cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal based in The Hague.

Victor Borges, foreign minister of Cape Verde, who co-presided at the talks, said there was a moment when people thought the ACP countries were against this political dimension, which, he added, was not true "because these questions are a preoccupation for all of humanity and not just of the Europeans."

However, he said the developing countries were concerned that money destined for development would be redirected toward anti-terrorism and anti-proliferation projects.

The EU also guaranteed that it would pay the ACP countries aid "at least equivalent" to the European Development Fund, which now stands at 13.5 billion euros (16.3 billion dollars) and is set to increase by 30 percent under the EU's proposed budget.

In an attempt to reassure the ACP over proposed EU reforms for cuts in sugar prices, Michel said an expected drop in EU production would allow the bloc to open its market to "the import of sugar from poor countries."

Michel gave assurances that the countries that suffered from the EU changes would be compensated, but he called on the less competitive countries to diversify their production since the EU could not throw money down the drain in countries where sugar production is not rational.

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