Press Releases

State Secretary Hans Winkler at the ACP-EU Council of Ministers meeting in Papua New Guinea

In his role as Council President, State Secretary Hans Winkler is to attend the ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific)–EU Council of Ministers meeting to be held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on Thursday/Friday, 1 and 2 June 2006. The meeting will focus primarily on concluding the negotiations on the Financial Protocol of the 10th European Development Fund for the period 2008 – 2013, adopting a joint declaration on climate change and development, conducting the ongoing negotiations concerning the ACP-EU Economic Partnership Agreement and achieving progress on the EU strategies for the regions of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. In addition, the schedule includes an informal exchange of views between civil society, international organisations and NGOs on the theme of "Migration and Development".

At the European Council in December 2005 the Heads of State and Government decided to earmark a total of EUR 22.682 billion for cooperation with the ACP countries in the framework of the European Development Fund (EDF) for the period 2008 - 2013. EUR 21.966 billion of this amount will be available to the ACP States as operating funds under the Financial Protocol. Another EUR 2 billion is to be provided by the European Investment Bank in the form of loans from own resources. Implementation and establishment of the concrete provisions of this decision require the adoption of a Financial Protocol with the ACP states and the adoption of an internal financing agreement by the EU Member States in order to determine each EU country's contribution to the 10th EDF. The goal for the Austrian Presidency is now to achieve agreement with the ACP States in Papua New Guinea regarding the Financial Protocol.

Under the partnership agreement (Cotonou Agreement) the EU and ACP States agreed to conclude new WTO-compatible trading agreements, to reduce mutual trading barriers and to increase cooperation in areas pertinent to trade. Economic Partnership Agreements are one of the main instruments for achieving these goals. They also represent a contribution to a coherent development policy in each individual ACP state. Investments and economic growth are to be promoted through the formation of larger regional markets and increased regional integration. Negotiations are at present being conducted with six regional economic communities of the ACP States.