PRESS/31
23November 1995
EUROPEAN UNION PROVIDES FINANCIAL BACKING FOR
SEMINARS ONURUGUAY ROUND RESULTS
TheEuropean Union hasprovided 1.1million ecustofinance technical cooperation activities
bytheWorld Trade Organization incooperation withtheACPSecretariat. Thesumwillbeallocated
totheorganization ofeight regional seminars toinform trade policy makers andbusinessmen inthe
developing world oftheresults andopportunities oftheUruguay Round. Theoffer wasconfirmed
thisweek inaletter toMr.Renato Ruggiero, Director-General oftheWTO, bySirLeon Brittan, Vice
President oftheEuropean Commission. Mr.Ruggiero commented;
"Iamdelighted that,through theEUdonation, theWTO isgoing tobeinaposition toreinforce
itswork inensuring maximum benefit todeveloping countries from theimplementation of
Uruguay Round commitments."
Sixoftheeightseminars willbeheldinAfrica where amajor effort isbeing made bytheWTO
toensure thatallcountries onthecontinent draw themaximum economic benefits from actual or
prospective WTO membership. Theremaining twoseminars willbeheldforCaribbean andPacific
ACP countries.
Thenewprogramme draws together elements oftheWTO 'sPlanofAction forAfrica with
theefforts oftheEuropean Union toassist ACP countries inunderstanding andresponding tothe
Uruguay Round results. Some 54African countries willbecovered, 15intheCaribbean andeight
inthePacific. Thefive-day seminars willinvolve fourpersons fromeachcountry -twofromtheprivate
sector andtwofrom government agencies.
Thefocus oftheseminars willbe:anassessment oftrading opportunities andthegeneral
economic impact oftheRound foreachcountry; theidentification ofpolicy measures which canserve
tomaximize benefits fromliberalized anddiversified access tomarkets andtheadaptation oflawsand
regulations inorder totakeadvantage ofUruguay Round results.
95-3752 END