Belmopan - 20 March, 2007 -- A major breakthrough was achieved in Brussels last week when a Special Meeting of Ministers of the African Caribbean and Pacific countries agreed that the shortfall in Sugar Protocol supplies resulting from the cessation of production in St Kitts should be reallocated within the Caribbean region. CARICOM sugar stakeholders have agreed that this reallocation should be shared equally by Belize and Guyana. The result is an increase of some 8 000 tons or nearly 20 % in the permanent quota of Belize to the European market.

Belize is elated by the decision. According to Hon. Eamon Courtenay, “This decision is the culmination of a year long struggle to persuade the ACP countries that having on several previous occasions ceded quota shortfalls to their African colleagues the CARICOM nations had to keep this vital access within the newly established Caribbean Single Market. The final agreement was a welcome expression of solidarity amongst ACP sugar producers and halts a growing transfer from the Caribbean of long standing commodity trading benefits .”

For Belize it represents a crucial step in providing a much larger secure market outlet for the planned increase in sugar production resulting from the improved cane yields forecast to be obtained from the national Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan. Efforts will continue to concentrate on gaining further access to help offset the imminent reduction in the EU market price.

The Belize delegation included Ambassador Alexis Rosado, Miss Venetia Eck Trade Economist, and Mr. Barry Newton, BSI Chairman.

EU – ACP Informal Dialogue,

The second leg of his trip took Minister Courtenay to Bonn, Germany where he participated in an Informal Dialogue between the EU Development Ministers and invited ACP Trade Ministers. EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and Development Commissioner Louis Michel were also in attendance.

The Bonn gathering allowed both the EU and the ACP to informally take stock of the status of the negotiations on Economic Partnership Agreements which are set to be completed by the end of 2007. These negotiations have become increasingly difficult as the negotiators seek to reach consensus on issues such as market access, tariff liberalisation, services, and the treatment of commodities such as banana and sugar.

From Brussels Minister Courtenay also travelled to London where he had a meeting with Rt. Hon. Don Mackinnon, Commonwealth Secretary General. The Secretary General briefed Minister Courtenay on the status of the Secretariat’s work on trade and petroleum issues for Belize, the upcoming Commonwealth Summit scheduled for Uganda, and other developments in Fiji and Zimbabwe. Minister Courtenay took the opportunity to brief SG Mackinnon on the current state of play in the Belize – Guatemala negotiations.

Meetings were also held with officials of the British Government on issues of mutual concern.

The Belize delegation also discussed the proposed trip to Belize by UK parliamentarians and business persons later this year. This was a follow-up to the visit by PM Said Musa last November to London.