The Courier. Africa-Caribbean-Pacific-European Union No 164 - July-August 1997. Dossier Globalisation Country reports Barbados Grenada

Directorate-General For Translation European Commission

Informations

• Publié par: EUROPEAN-COMMISSION
• Nombre de lectures: 33
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 39 Mo

Extrait

ISSN 1013-7335
~ ■:■>'
ui.
ibbe
Dossier
Globalisation The Courier
Africa -
Caribbean -
Pacific -
European Union
Postal address
'The ACP-EU Courier'
Commission of
the European Communities
200, rue de la Loi,
1049 Brussels
Belgium
Address for visitors
Astrid Building
1, rue de Genève
Evere - Brussels
COUNTRY REPORTS Belgium
Publisher DOSSIER
Barbados and Grenada
Philippe Soubestre
There is an old English
nursery rhyme which
Director of Publications
Globalisation claims that 'little girls are
Dominique David
made of sugar, and spice
The pace of change in the world seems to have
and all things nice'. Well
Editor accelerated sharply over the last few years - cer­
Barbados has the sugar
Simon Horner tainly since the end of the Cold War.
and Grenada has the spice,
Communications have become more rapid, work­
and they have lots of other
Assistant Editor
ing patterns are changing, markets for goods and things that are nice - which
Jeanne Remade
services have been transformed and money can is why they attract so
be moved freely and instantaneously from one many tourists. At the same
Production Manager
country to another. 'Globalisation' is the catch-all time, both countries face a
Dorothy Morrissey
word usee nowadays to describe what is happen­ number of challenges, not
ing. We examine what this term actually means least because of the glob­
Journalists
alisation that is featured in and consider the practical implications of the
Debra Percival
our Dossier. We look at globalisation process. What do people and coun­
Mounirou Fall
how Barbados, with its tra­tries need to do to keep pace with events? More
Kenneth Karl
dition of high quality edu­importantly, will there be long-term benefits for
cation, and Grenada, with all or could some societies (notably in the devel­ Secretariat
its continuing dependence
oping countries) lose out? Carmela Peters
on agriculture, are plan­
Fax [phone]
ning for development in
the 21st century.
Circulation
Pages 50 to 84
Margriet Mahy-van der Werf
Pages 11 to 47 Tel. [phone]
Cover page
Image of Barbados - fun on the beach
Inside front cover
Painting by a local artist displayed in the
PomMarine Hotel run by the Hospitality Institute
of the Barbados Community College (top).
The Carénage in St George's, the capital of
Grenada (bottom) The ACP-EU Courier No 164 - July-August 1997
75. The pros and cons of open capital markets a c ρ
77. ACP primary products
2. South Africa: Lomé IV's 86th member 80. The challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa
4. Towards regionalised cooperation? 82. Spiritualities
7. What future for 'green gold'?
culture and society
country reports
85. African cinema from Fespaco to Cannes:
at last, something new 11. BARBADOS: Adaptability is the watchword
89. Ghana and the Netherlands play a friendly 14. Interview with Prime Minister, Owen Arthur
17. A hunger for education
20. Profile
21. Championing the rights of small island states eta bulletin
23. Rum fights to avoid knock-out punch
90. West Africa: getting the most out of agricultural 24. Interview with opposition leader, David Thompson
research 27. Keeping the island green
28. Barbados-EU cooperation
29. Behind the facade
c d i partnership
93. 20 years of direct support for ACP compan ies
95. Dossier: Textiles
98. 'CEB' are finally subject to standards
31. GRENADA: Preparing for rougher waters
99. Partnerships
34. Interview with Prime Minister, Keith Mitchell
37. Agriculture: uncertain times
39. Tourism: a natural competitive edge 101. NEWS ROUND-UP
41. Interview with opposition leader, George Brizan
43. An artist's obligation to the future
44. Profile
OPERATIONAL SUMMARY (BLUE PAGES)
45. Grenada-EU cooperation
ENDPIECE
developing world
48. NGO annual assembly
dossier
50. GLOBALISATION: some key questions
55. The financial markets
56. Employment aspects
58. Facing up to globalisation in Europe: Interview with
Jerome Vignon, principal adviser in the European
Commission's Forward Studies Unit
63. The development perspective
65. Alternatives or criticisms
67. Economic integration is the answer: Interview with
Burkinabé minister, Tertius Zongo
Published in English and French. Writers of signed articles bear sole
69. What role for the state responsibility for their contents. Reproduction authorised subject to
indication of origin. 72. Warming up to business
the Courier n° 164 - july-august 1997 r indicated that these two outstand­
South Africa: Lomé IV's ing issues should be resolved with­
in the following two months.
86th member
Institutions
Membership of the Lomé
'ACP States welcome South Africa wholeheartedly', commented Fiji's
Convention means that the coun­
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who is current President of the ACP
try will participate in meetings of
Council of Ministers. He was speaking at a ceremony in Luxembourg
the Convention's institutions.
on April 24, where South Africa formally joined the Lomé club. The
These are the ACP-EU Council of
country will not benefit from all the provisions of the Convention,
Ministers (the decision-making
notably its core trade and aid articles. But in the words of European
body), the Committee of Ambas­
Development Commissioner, João de Deus Pinheiro, its membership
sadors (which monitors the day-to­
of the ACP group will give a 'new strength and dynamism' to ACP-
day working of the cooperation
EU relations.
system and has certain powers del­
egated by the Council of Ministers)
and the twice-yearly Joint Assem­
The two principal mulation of origin provisions. bly (which brings together elected
'gains' for South Africa in However, the arrangement falls representatives from ACP states
its 'qualified' membership' short of what South Africa's nego­ and the European Parliament).
of Lomé IV are eligibility to tiators initially envisaged - which
Not included in the new tender for projects in all was the full extension of the Con­
protocol is South Africa's access to ACP states financed under vention's non-reciprocal trade
the EU market - which is still being the Eighth European Devel­ preferences to their country.
negotiated. Separate agreements opment Fund, and the extension
are also being drawn up for wines of currnulation of origin. The latter
In addition, the precise op­
and spirits, where South Africa is ex­means t.hat South African inputs
eration of the new rules of origin
pected to fall into line with the EU's can be usisd in ACP products with­
still needs to be put down on
denomination rules, and for fish­out these· losing their preference
paper. Speaking about this mecha­
eries (at Spain's request). 'A lot of in the EU market. This will benefit
nism, Minister Hanekom observed
people are dependent on fisheries both South African producers and
that the potential benefits to his
in South Africa', said Ambassador manufacturers in neighbouring
region were considerable. 'It can
Links, who went on to indicate that states in the region.
become an important instrument
his country would be looking at the
to encourage greater cross-border
'Although our qualified ac­ more sophisticated joint-venture
cooperation and promote integra­
cession to Lomé does not include type fishing agreements the EU has
tion.' He noted, however, that the
any substantial trade benefits for concluded with other third coun­
system was only accessible on an
South Airica, it is another note­ tries. Preliminary fisheries talks were
ad-hoc basis. 'It is this ad-hoc na­
worthy step on the road towards due to begin in May. A science and
ture which needs to be clarified,
our integration into the ACP fami­ technology agreement has previ­
since it is at present confusing and
ly and the world community,' com­ ously been signed.
investor-unfriendly.' South Africa's
mented South African Agriculture
Ambassador to the EU, Eltie Links, South Africa's aid package Minister, Derek Hanekom. The
added that his country was also falls outside the Eighth EDF. The symbolism was echoed by Commis­
seeking access to contracts under European Council of Ministers, in a sioner Pinheiro: 'This is an event of
the Seventh EDF. The Ambassador separate decision, has already ear-'historical significance,' he said. '22
years after the signing of the first
Lomé Convention, it finally in­
cludes all of sub-Saharan Africa'. Lomé Convention provisions
The Commissioner continued: 'To
Applicable to South Africa illustrate its attachment to a
Technical, cultural and soci