***External Relations
The Council reviewed progress in negotiations on economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions and states, in the run-up to the 31 December deadline for completion of these agreements.
It reached a political agreement on a draft regulation on market access, aimed at enacting the provisions of interim EPAs with certain ACP regions and states. The market access regulation opens duty- and quota-free access to the Community market, with improvements to the previous rules of origin provided for by the ACP-EU Cotonou partnership agreement, to those ACP states that have initialled agreements with the Community that are compatible with WTO rules. The Council welcomed the holding of the Annapolis Conference on the Middle East peace process and the joint understanding reached between Prime Minister Olmert and President Abbas to immediately launch good-faith bilateral negotiations in order to conclude a peace treaty before the end of 2008.
It underlined the EU's determination to accompany this new momentum by supporting the parties in their negotiations in a sustained and active manner and through working closely with international partners. The Council had an exchange of views with the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam FAYYAD. The Council reaffirmed its strong support for African Union and UN efforts towards solving the conflict in Darfur. It underlined its full commitment to contribute to the implementation of Security Council resolution 1778 which authorizes the deployment in Chad and Central African Republic of a multidimensional presence, including the EU providing the military element of it, and looked forward to soon finalising the current process of force generation and making all necessary resources available in order to conduct this operation. General Affairs The Council adopted conclusions on enlargement of the EU, welcoming the Commission's assessment of progress on the enlargement strategy agreed on last December and of the current main challenges, and assessing the pace of reform in Turkey and Croatia.
UE
11/12/07
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