PACP Technical Meeting Consider Goods and Services Access
PRESS STATEMENT 79/07
23rd July 2007
PACIFIC ACP TECHNICAL OFFICERS URGED TO COMPLETE TECHNICAL MARKET ACCESS WORK FOR GOODS AND SERVICES
Technical officials from the Pacific ACP countries have been working to advance the technical market access preparations for goods and services in the proposed Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union no matter where the political process in negotiating the Agreement is at.
Speaking at the opening of the Pacific ACP Trade Officials Technical Meeting on EPA Goods and Services Offers in Port, Vanuatu, today, the Forum’s Director of Economic Governance, Dr Roman Grynberg congratulated member countries for the great amount of time and effort put into the work of drafting the offers.
“Time is running out so getting the technical market access work near completed, no matter where the political process is at is important. We never know when a deal can be worked out at the political level so we must be ready at the technical level,” Dr Grynberg said.
The one-day Technical Meeting is to consider the Pacific ACPs’ technical draft offers for goods and services in the context of the proposed EPA for submission to the PACP Trade Officials and subsequently to PACP Trade Ministers for endorsement.
In the area of goods, the meeting is expected to advance the technical draft offers on goods, including the coverage of products for liberalization and their sequencing, as well as possible fall-back positions. It will also seek an enhanced understanding of the implications of the final technical offers on PACP economies, including in terms of implementation and revenue and competition effects.
In services, the meeting will seek to progress the work on the technical draft offers on services, including coverage, liberalization commitments, deferred and conditional offers and fall-back positions. It will also seek an enhanced understanding of the implications of the technical offers for individual PACPs in terms of implementation and related regulatory assistance.
The Pacific ACP Technical Meeting is one of several Forum trade meetings scheduled over the next two weeks in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The other meetings include a meeting of the parties to the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA), a Forum Trade Officials Meeting, and a Pacific ACP Trade Officials Meeting. All of these officials’ meetings are a lead up to a Pacific ACP Trade Ministers Meeting (31st July – 1st August) and a Forum Trade Ministers’ Meeting (2nd – 3rd August).
ENDS.
For more information contact, Dr Roman Grynberg, the Forum’s Director of Economic Governance on phone 678 – 22934, 244665, fax: 678 24671 or email: romang@forumsec.org.fj.
23rd July 2007
PACIFIC ACP TECHNICAL OFFICERS URGED TO COMPLETE TECHNICAL MARKET ACCESS WORK FOR GOODS AND SERVICES
Technical officials from the Pacific ACP countries have been working to advance the technical market access preparations for goods and services in the proposed Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union no matter where the political process in negotiating the Agreement is at.
Speaking at the opening of the Pacific ACP Trade Officials Technical Meeting on EPA Goods and Services Offers in Port, Vanuatu, today, the Forum’s Director of Economic Governance, Dr Roman Grynberg congratulated member countries for the great amount of time and effort put into the work of drafting the offers.
“Time is running out so getting the technical market access work near completed, no matter where the political process is at is important. We never know when a deal can be worked out at the political level so we must be ready at the technical level,” Dr Grynberg said.
The one-day Technical Meeting is to consider the Pacific ACPs’ technical draft offers for goods and services in the context of the proposed EPA for submission to the PACP Trade Officials and subsequently to PACP Trade Ministers for endorsement.
In the area of goods, the meeting is expected to advance the technical draft offers on goods, including the coverage of products for liberalization and their sequencing, as well as possible fall-back positions. It will also seek an enhanced understanding of the implications of the final technical offers on PACP economies, including in terms of implementation and revenue and competition effects.
In services, the meeting will seek to progress the work on the technical draft offers on services, including coverage, liberalization commitments, deferred and conditional offers and fall-back positions. It will also seek an enhanced understanding of the implications of the technical offers for individual PACPs in terms of implementation and related regulatory assistance.
The Pacific ACP Technical Meeting is one of several Forum trade meetings scheduled over the next two weeks in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The other meetings include a meeting of the parties to the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA), a Forum Trade Officials Meeting, and a Pacific ACP Trade Officials Meeting. All of these officials’ meetings are a lead up to a Pacific ACP Trade Ministers Meeting (31st July – 1st August) and a Forum Trade Ministers’ Meeting (2nd – 3rd August).
ENDS.
For more information contact, Dr Roman Grynberg, the Forum’s Director of Economic Governance on phone 678 – 22934, 244665, fax: 678 24671 or email: romang@forumsec.org.fj.
