Europe restarts negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement, besides Honduras's situation

Taken from: www.nacion.com

The European Union (EU) is willing to begin once again the negotiations with Central America to close the Free Trade Agreement this year, despite the complications generated by the deep political crisis that Honduras is currently living.

The vicepresident of Spain, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, confirmed yesterday in the house of the Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, the European disposition to continue with the negotiating process, with the idea that Honduras can adhere to the negotiations once it overcomes it tumultuous situation.

The contacts among both regions will continue this month, with the purpose that Brussels formalizes in the middle of September the decision to continue with the rounds of negotiation.

Besides the complications originated by the Honduran conflict, Europeans, like Central Americans are waiting for the negotiations around the banana products in the World Organization of Commerce (OMC).

Bananas are one of the products that generates more differences between Central Americans and Europeans. Europeans are trying to protect the fruit that’s produced in the ex-colonies.

There is another clause that restricts the possibility to sign the treaty with countries that that aren’t governed by democratic states, as is the current case of Honduras.

The problem is that the EU has said since 2006, when the start of the negotiations were announced, that they won’t sign this Free Trade Agreement with part of Central America, only with the whole region.

This Free Trade Agreement is a treaty that includes political aspects, of cooperation and commercial, this is really important to Central America because of the possibilities to sell products in a market of 500 million inhabitants and of a high level of consumption.

Spain is interested in signing this treaty by next January, during a summit between the EU and Latin America that will be carried out while the Spaniards exercise the temporary presidency of the EU.