EC/developing countries relations: support for regional economic integration efforts

The Committee (chairman: Michel ROCARD (PES, F)), in adopting the report by Clive NEEDLE (PES, UK), saw the main purpose of regional economic integration among developing countries as being to reduce poverty and promote sustainable human, economic and social development. To encourage regional economic integration, preferential measures should be adopted to support the weaker economies in a given region and ensure that regional integration enabled the countries taking part to make greater progress towards economic and trade integration than the World Trade Organization required. However, these liberalisation agreements must not lead to increased protectionism against outsiders. �