ACP States: agricultural products and goods resulting from the processing of these products

OBJECTIVE: implementation of new trade arrangements applicable to industrial products and goods originating in the ACP countries following the mid-term review of the fourth Lomé Convention. SUBSTANCE: the results of negotiations for the mid-term review of the fourth Lomé Convention were finalized and approved by all parties on 4 November 1995 in Mauritius. However, the revised convention will not come into force until it has been ratified by all the contracting parties. Consequently the Commission is proposing a text seeking to implement a new trade arrangement applicable to agricultural products and goods resulting from the processing of agricultural products originating in the ACP (African Caribbean and Pacific) States pending ratification of the revised convention by all the contracting parties and taking account of the outcome of negotiations concluded in 1995. The new arrangements include commercial provisions covering new concessions; they represent a considerable improvement to the development of trade as part of ACP-EC cooperation. The proposal for a regulation repeals Council Regulation (EEC) No 715/90/EEC applying the earlier trade arrangements and laying down new arrangements from 01.01.1996. The new concessions applicable to agricultural imports from the ACP countries take the form of: - exemption from customs duties for certain products - a reduction in the specific rates of customs duties for other products and/or - an increase in the quotas previously granted in the ACP States. The new arrangements also extend the list of products eligible for a reduction in customs duties and take account of the new combined nomenclature in the agricultural sector following the 1995 GATT multilateral trade negotiations.�