THE European Union responded almost immediately to Parliament’s demand for clarification of a controversial clause before ratifying SA’s qualified accession to the Lomé Convention.
Parliament last week refused to ratify the accession because of concern about the meaning of the term ad hoc as applied to input credits for products made in SA’s Africa-Caribbean-Pacific neighbours, leading to fears that SA’s neighbours could be prejudiced by the clause.
According to foreign affairs director for regional economic organisations Willem Bosman, said the EU had offered an immediate response to the call for clarification, promising to clarify the problem clause as soon as possible, and adding that the most effective way to get full clarity on the clause will be to make progress in the stalled free trade negotiations between SA and the EU.
Bosman told Parliament’s economic and foreign affairs select committee on Wednesday that in the light of the EU repsonse he believes the qualifiied accession to Lomé should be ratified.
He said the fear that SA might take advantage of its ACP neighbours and flood Europe with SA products is real and that Europeans should not be blamed for trying to protect their economies. He added that Europe is not trying to sideline SA and had in fact been very supportive.