1 / 15

PACER Plus: Introduction & Overview

PACER Plus: Introduction & Overview. Kaliopate Tavola 4 September 2009. Scope. Introduction Overview Challenges Issues Role of the Private Sector. Provisions of the PACER Agreement.

butch
Download Presentation

PACER Plus: Introduction & Overview

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. PACER Plus: Introduction & Overview Kaliopate Tavola 4 September 2009

  2. Scope • Introduction • Overview • Challenges • Issues • Role of the Private Sector

  3. Provisions of the PACER Agreement • Art 3(2): PP to be ‘stepping stone’ to allow FICs to gradually become part of a single regional market and integrate into the international economy • More advanced regionalism envisaged • Art 5(1): provides for the trigger point at which PP is to start • 8 years after PICTA has come into force • Triggered off by FTA negotiations as per Art 6 • Art 6(3): provides for consultations with a view to the commencement of negotiations of a FTA

  4. What is PACER Plus? • Art 5(1): ……with a view to establishing reciprocal free trade arrangements • Art 6(1): specifies FTA, customs union or an interim agreement leading to a FTA as per Art XXIV, GATT • PP can be bilateral, sub-regional or regional – Art 6(3)(b) • The + has expanded the scope, form and nature of the agreement to be negotiated • Definitions of + abound

  5. The PACER Plus Process to date • Notifications under Art 6(2) took place when PACPS entered into negotiations on EPA • Consultations under Art 6(3)(a) have taken place when PACPS commenced formal negotiations with EU on EPA • There have been 4 informal consultations already at officials level and reports submitted to the FTMM • There has been 1 informal ministerial consultation • FTMM report went to PIF in Cairns • PIF has decided ‘to commence PP negotiations forthwith’.

  6. The PACER Plus Process to date • CTA position has been advertised and applications closed • Next FTMM will be in November 2009 in FSM • Agenda: Framework of PP negotiations; timelines; identification of issues; issues for CTA to negotiate • Leaders noted the need for FICs to undertake national consultations and capacity building • Fiji will not participate but will be kept informed at the officials level.

  7. The Expectations of PACER Plus • More than just a FTA • PP is to be a development tool – to go beyond DDA and EPA • Apart from national benefits, there is commitment to direct much benefits to the collective development needs of the FICs in the interest of REI and regionalism as a whole • To craft a unique and visionary development trade agreement between developed ANZ and developing FICs

  8. Realization of Expectations in the context of WTO • Art XVIII GATT: ‘Government Assistance to Economic Development’ • Protective or other measures affecting imports • Additional facilities to maintain sufficient flexibility in tariff structure to grant tariff protection for the establishment of a particular industry • Application of TRQ for BOP purposes • Can deviate temporarily from provisions

  9. Realization of Expectations in the context of WTO • Art XXIV GATT: ‘FTAs’ • Notification • Derogation facilities • Substantially all the trade (SAT) • Period of tariff reductions • Part IV GATT: ‘Trade and Development’ • Preferential treatment – ‘Enabling Clause’, which consolidates SDTs for developing countries, and non-reciprocity in trade agreement

  10. The Challenges the Negotiators face • Commitment to take the negotiations beyond conventional reach • Commitment to be creative in formulating SDT, asymmetry, differentiation, etc • Commitment to go beyond WTO conventions • Commitment for the bigger picture – REI • Commitment to notifying to the WTO an unprecedented developmental FTA

  11. Forum Island Countries Interests • Adequate resources to cover adjustment costs • Attention to supply-side constraints to take advantage of market access • Attention to ‘behind the border’ activities • Attention to industrialization measures • Simplified and facilitative ROO that will encourage industrialization and diversification • Broad-based economic growth to generate lost tax revenue and more

  12. Forum Island Countries Interests • Elimination of NTB, tariff peaks, tariff escalation • Promoting and safeguarding ‘special products’ to FICs • Labour mobility schemes • Optimizing new opportunities, e.g. economies of scale • Concessionary ‘SAT’ • Concessionary ‘reasonable length of time’ • Differentiated market access offers

  13. Consideration of Alternatives • ANZ unilaterraly conferring benefits to FICs - WN • SPARTECA Plus - Oxfam • Enhanced GSP - ditto • PACER-lite - ditto

  14. Role of the Private Sector • Tongan Informal Consultation agreed with the engagement of the NSAs • NZAID study on capacity building and how best to engage NSAs. • Awaiting report • PIPSO’s first workshop on PACER Plus – 25 June 2009

  15. THANK YOU

More Related