June 27, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 11, 1428

WIESBADEN (Germany), June 26: EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel on Tuesday urged Africa, Caribbean and Pacific nations to conclude new trade deals with Europe to replace an accord expiring this year.

“I do not have the impression that delaying these new accords will help” the 78-nation ACP bloc, which includes 40 of the world's poorest countries, Michel said.

He was speaking at the 13th annual EU-ACP joint parliamentary assembly being held in Wiesbaden in western Germany until Thursday.

The European Commission and the ACP are struggling to make progress towards new trade agreements by the end of the year, when a current preferential market access accord runs out.

The ACP group, made up mostly of former European colonies, scorned an EU offer made in April to scrap quotas and tariffs on all goods from the emerging group of nations except sugar and rice.

ACP negotiators object to the exceptions, pointing out that these are important products from the region, and have demanded a “more constructive and attractive” offer.

They say the EU's proposals mark a step back from the current accord that scrapped tariffs on 97 per cent of EU imports from the ACP and gave the poorest 40 nations from the group free access to European markets.

The group is also balking at demands that in return the 78 nations open their markets to European products, saying the competition will destabilise their emerging economies.--AFP