FREE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EU AND
SOUTH KOREA, INDIA AND THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATIONS
(ASEAN)
Letter from Rt Hon Ian McCartney MP, Minister
for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, Department of Trade
and Industry/Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Chairman
On 24 April the General Affairs and External
Relations Council (GAERC) adopted negotiating directives for a
new Free Trade Agreement between the EU and, South Korea, India
and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Negotiations
for the FTA with South Korea were launched on 7 May and with ASEAN
on 4 May. It is expected that negotiations with India will be
taken forward in the coming weeks.
The negotiating mandates are restricted documents
setting out the mandate granted to the Commission to undertake
negotiations with South Korea, India and ASEAN on behalf of the
Council. As these directives represent a negotiating position
they are not in the public domain and it is not therefore possible
for me to submit them for scrutiny. I will, however, submit a
full Explanatory Memorandum when a draft Council Decision to conclude
the Agreement is submitted to the Council on completion of the
negotiations.
The aim of the forthcoming negotiations will
be to conclude a deep and comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with
South Korea, India and ASEAN and for a Free Trade Area with Central
America and the Community of Andean Nations. The Commission will
inform the Council on a regular basis on progress of the negotiations.
The UK position throughout the discussions has been that an ambitious
and pro-development outcome to the Doha Development Agenda should
remain the top priority. To this end, we believe that the directives
allow for this outcome and we welcomed the emphasis placed on
this at the launch of the EU-Korea and EU-ASEAN negotiations.
28 May 2007
Letter from the Chairman to Rt Hon Ian McCartney
MP
Thank you for your letter of 28 May regarding
negotiations between the EU and ASEAN, India & South Korea
regarding Free Trade Agreements. This was discussed by Sub-Committee
A at their meeting on 12 June.
The Sub-Committee noted that it is not possible
for you to submit the negotiating mandates for scrutiny because
of their status as restricted documents. We would be grateful
if your officials would consider whether there is any means by
which these could instead be summarised in a public memorandum
for the Committee.
The Sub-Committee would also like to explore
the broader issues related to Free Trade Agreements, with the
view to a possible inquiry into the bilateral trade agreements
later this year. With this in mind, the Sub Committee have asked
me to invite you to give evidence to them on this subject in early
October.
13 June 2007
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