REPA Booklet - Stop Epa

1
Pacific
Islands,the European Union & Lomé
Why are the Pacific Islands involved in trade negotiations with the European Union?
It is a legacy of the British Empire. Most of the Pacific Islands used to be colonies of Britain, either directly or
through Australia or New Zealand. The remainder were under French or US rule - and ‘French Polynesia’,
New Caledonia, Wallis and Fortuna, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands still are.
One of the main motives in colonising the Islands was to ensure a steady supply of raw materials for their
industries; there were also military and foreign policy reasons. These interests framed the trade, investment and
aid policies and practices of the colonial powers. When the Pacific Islands secured their political independence,
this ongoing relationship was formalised through treaties with their former colonisers.
‘’What the Pacific
island
governments tend
to advocate is that
we have had a
relationship with
the EU with the
Lome framework,
for almost 25
years. And this we
do not want to
stop”
(Feilo’akitau Kaho
Tevi, PCRC, 1999)
How does that historical relationship with Britain link the Pacific Islands to the European Union?
Britain joined the European Common Market in 1973. Even though its interests had shifted, Britain couldn’t just
abandon its former colonies. It also still needed a secure supply of sugar from Fiji (and Caribbean countries) for
its refining companies, especially Tate and Lyle. When Britain joined the Common Market, it was part of the deal
that these preferential arrangements would continue. They were formalised in the first Lomé Convention
between the ACP States and the European Community, which came into effect in 1975. A separate but related
legal arrangement for sugar became known as the Sugar Protocol.
Which Pacific Islands did the Lomé Convention cover?
The first Lomé agreement in 1975 only applied to Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. Kiribati, PNG, Solomon Islands and
Tuvalu acceded in 1980, and Vanuatu joined in 1985. That covered all the Pacific Islands that are members of
the Pacific Islands Forum, except the Cook Islands, Nauru and Niue (which relied on their close association
arrangements with New Zealand) and the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia and Palau (they
were covered by Compacts of Free Association with the US).
Was the Lomé Convention solely a deal for the Pacific Islands?
No. Lomé’s origins lay in the Yaounde Convention (1963-75). That was a trade and aid package for 21 African
colonies of the original European Common Market states (mainly France). By the time the Lomé Convention
ended in 2000, it had been extended to 71 former European colonies from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
What is the difference between the Common Market, the European Economic Community and the
European Union?
Each time the European states deepened their economic and political integration the name changed. The
Common Market and the European Economic Community, which was formed in 1957, became the European
Community in 1967. Under the Maastricht Treaty, which was signed in 1992 and provided for a common
currency and other shared policies and regulatory bodies, it became the European Union. The European
Commission (EC) is the executive body that conducts international relations, including trade negotiations, on
behalf of the European Union.
What were the basic principles that underpinned the Lomé Convention?
A body of ‘shared objectives and principles’ forms part of what is called the Lomé acquis:
- the principle of ‘partnership’ between European Union and ACP States, including dialogue and joint
administration;
- the contractual nature of the relationship; and
- the combination of trade, aid and political dimensions that operates with a relatively long-term perspective.
What were the main features of the Lomé Convention?
The Convention provided trade preferences for exports from ACP countries to the European Union. It also had
a political dimension where, in theory, decisions were made in partnership; in practice, the Europeans dictated
the terms. The third element was a related aid package known as the European Development Fund.
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A People’s Guide To The Pacific’s Economic Partnership Agreement