Case: Policy coherence in general

21-09-2010 MEP Georgios Papastamkos raises concerns about the impact of the GSP and EBA initiative on agricultural sectors in developing countries

MEP  Georgios Papastamkos (EPP) raised concerns in his question to the commission about the Generalized System for Preferences (GSP) and the Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative to encourage trade with development countries. Papastamkos is worried about the effects of these policies on the agricultural sectors of the developing countries, since the EU is the largest importer of agricultural good. Food security is high on the political agendas, and moreover the EU should encourage the exporting countries to enforce an equal distribution of the revenue to the local producers.

The EU has committed itself to the Millennium Development Goals, and the first one is to reduce poverty world wide. Article 208 of the Lisbon treaty states that the European Development Policy has the same goal, and goes even further since the eventually poverty should be eradicated. The EUs policies should not only be beneficial for our food security and trade, but also enhance development in the exporting countries.

Georgios Papastamkos (EPP) is recognized as Fair Politician for expressing the need for Policy Coherence for Development for the GSP/EBA and the development policies. He will earn one star in our monitoring system.

Monitor fair: EPP

  
Parliamentary Question
15 July 2010
H-0377/2010
QUESTION TIME, by Georgios Papastamkos (Epp)

Subject: Developing countries and preferential access to the EU market
The EU is the largest importer of agricultural goods originating from developing countries, owing chiefly to preferential commercial agreements, the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and the Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative in favour of the least developed countries. EU imports exceed combined imports by the US, Japan, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
How does the Commission evaluate the impact of the EU's agricultural concessions to developing countries on the development of their agricultural sectors? How does it ensure that local producers and exporters benefit from preferential access to the EU market?