FSMR&D (October 25, 2013): A meeting of a core
group of Senior Trade and Fisheries Officials from the Pacific-African,
Caribbean, and Pacific (PACP) Group and the European Commission (EC) was held
on October 14-15, 2013 with a Trade and Fisheries Ministerial on October 17,
2013 in Brussels, Belgium to further discuss the comprehensive Economic
Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU).
Before the formal
meetings took place, Papua New Guinea, the biggest EU trading partners in the
Pacific Region and the only PACP that has ratified and implemented the interim
EPA (iEPA), formally announced that it was withdrawing itself from the
comprehensive EPA negotiations. PNG’s main reason was that the comprehensive
EPA, as it stands so far, does not provide enough guarantee than what was
secured in the iEPA. In addition PNG, like many other countries that are
members to the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), is not in favor of
conservation and management measures of fisheries resources being discussed in
the EPA negotiations.
Following PNG’s withdrawal
from the comprehensive EPA negotiations, the EC questioned the relevance of
pursuing the negotiations of a comprehensive EPA with the PACPS without the participation
of the key player in the PACP Region. As a direct consequence, the meeting of
Senior Trade and Fisheries Officials of both Parties on Trade in Goods and Fisheries
was suspended. Nevertheless, both Parties agreed to hold an informal meeting to
exchange information and share policy objectives on conservation and management
of fisheries resources.
At the outset of the
informal meeting, the EC stated that is was committed to development in the
Pacific including the granting of flexible rules of origin to PACPS for access
of their fisheries products into the EU market; however, this must be in a
sustainable manner, and should particularly be in line with the recent EU Fisheries
Strategy in the Pacific Region adopted by the EU Parliament. For the EC, PACP
demands in the comprehensive EPA negotiations (mainly the extension of global
sourcing fisheries rules of origin to fresh and frozen fish fillets) were
viewed as excessive by its stakeholders; raising endless questions on the
implications for fish stocks and the EU industries. According to EC Senior
Officials, stakeholders in the EU, in particular the EU Parliament, were
expecting commitments from PACPS on conservation and management of fisheries
resources, and not just statements of intention.
PACP Senior Officials assured
the EC that conservation and sustainable management was a major concern for
PACPS given that fisheries resources are their primary and only resource in
most cases. PACPS informed the EC that they have taken the steps to develop
conservation and management measures (CMMs) that are based on scientific
information at the sub-regional and regional level and that such management
measures would be better addressed in the context of the Western and Central Pacific
Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and not in the EPA. However, PACPS indicated that
they were willing to undertake commitments regarding the transparency of their
conservation and management measures. PACPS also reiterated that they will
abide by the principle of non-discrimination regarding the management of their
fisheries resources.
After explanations and
clarifications were given from both sides, the EC reiterated that negotiations
for the comprehensive EPA would remain suspended until two key issues are
resolved: 1.) PNG participates in the comprehensive EPA negotiations; and 2.)
PACPs making commitments to conservation and sustainable management in the EPA.
The FSM was a part of
the core group that met with the EC in Brussels to represent the Freely
Associated States (FSM, Republic of Marshall Islands, and Palau). Its
representatives were Mr. Marion Henry, Secretary of the FSM Department of
Resources and Development (FSM R&D), Mr. Eugene Pangelinan, Deputy Director
for NORMA, Mrs. Camille Movick-Inatio, Assistant Secretary for Trade and
Investment (FSM R&D), and Mr. Jean Bertrand Azapmo, Trade Policy Adviser
(FSM R&D).
For more information, contact FSM R&D at (691) 320-5133 or fsmrd@fsmrd.fm
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