Caribbean Reluctantly Accepts New EU Proposal on Bananas
By: iStockAnalyst Wednesday, July 30, 2008 9:56 AM

Text of report by Caribbean Media Corporation news agency website

CARIBBEAN-BANANA-Caribbean reluctantlyaccept new EU proposal on bananas

GENEVA-CMC - Caribbean countries havecontinued to voice their opposition to a new agreement reached between theEuropean Union and Latin America that is likely to be ratified by the WorldTrade Organization General Council on Wednesday. "We in the ACP (African Caribbean and Pacific) were very much surprised by some agreement that has been reached between the European Union and a group of LatinAmerican countries on the issue of bananas," said Henry Jeffrey, Guyana'sMinister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation. "The Latin Group and their commercial interests have been pushing for years and we harbour no bad feelings against them: only to note that to the poor, small island,banana farmer and indeed, the entire communities of such countries, all the chatter about regional solidarity and oneness understandably appears hollow."

TheGuyana minister said that he expected to hear from countries like Costa Rica "thatthis was an historic agreement and we congratulate both parties and say that itis sensible for them to have reached agreement. But Jeffrey said that it was the attitude of the European Union "that continues to surprise us" "It consistently speaks of partnerships and proceeds to act unilaterally under all kinds of legal and other pretences. This is not the first time I have encounteredthis and given the kind of relationship we both now foresee, it will not be the last," Jeffrey said.

He said there appears to be among prominent elements in the EU a world view that assumes to know "what is good for many of our countries and seek to implement this"good" conveniently and unilaterally. "Let me simply say that we reject, out of hand, any such view. We hope that those concerned are well aware that we cannot be party to a process that subverts our vital interests as we see them. Like others, we are here to deal but we must be dealt with fairly," the Guyana Minister added. Spain is reported to be leading a number of European states in opposition to the new agreement that would result in a reduction in the banana import tariffs for so-called 'third country' (non African, non- Caribbean) fruit by 35per cent over the next seven years.

EU officials said that the Geneva Agreement on Trade in Bananas represents a historic breakthrough for thiscontroversial commodity sector, after more than 15 years of challenges to the European Communities import policy in the General Agreement on Trade and Tariff(GATT) and the WTO. The signatories to the Geneva Agreement,which includes a clause settling all existing disputes in the WTO, are the European Communities, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Honduras,Guatemala, Peru, the United States, Brazil, Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela. Cameroon had led an ACP groupcounter-proposal on Monday, seeking a grace-period before cuts were implemented, but later accepted that, provided the African and Caribbeanexporting governments can negotiate a satisfactory aid package to restructure their industries, they will reluctantly accept the agreement. Spain's Rural Environment Secretary,Josep Puxeu, said that the agreement had to be ratified by the EU Council of Ministers. "Spain wants to maintain high tariff protection for bananas for as long as possible,"he said. France is also said to be supporting the Spanish position.

Originally published by Caribbean Media Corporation news agency website, Bridgetown, in English 2140 29 Jul 08.

(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Americas. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews+art...ean_Reluctantly.html

Most of the bannas produced in Latin America is done by the big US corporations like Chiquita, Del Monte etc. These US companies and Spain are pushing a Latin agenda while the UK does nothing for the Caribbean.

Time for the Caribbean to move away, or supplement their banana economies.

quote:

Time for the Caribbean to move away,

don't you mean float away

quote:

Originally posted by Terry Ishmael:
Time for the Caribbean to move away, or supplement their banana economies.

Unfortunately ganga is one of the few cash crops that are economically viable, but not a legal trading commodity. The banana variety that is exported to Europe is also facing extinction in the near future.
The UK is the most passive country in Europe when it comes to the Caribbean.