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EU Agreements with Bangladesh
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 Relevant Documents |
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European Union - Bangladesh relations date from 1973. The
European Commission has been represented in Bangladesh since 1982, and since
1989 has had a full-fledged Delegation in the country. A first agreement was
signed in 1976 : the Commercial Cooperation Agreement between the European
Economic Community and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
(1).
Noting that Bangladesh was one of the least developed of the developing
countries, the trust of the agreement is on the strengthening of the economic
and commercial relations. The Commercial Cooperation Agreement also established
a Joint Commission to exchange views on a broad range of issues covered by the
Agreement as well as ensuring the proper functioning of any sectoral Agreements
to be signed between the parties. The Commercial Cooperation agreement has been
in force till 2001.
Trade in Textiles Products has been the subject of an
Agreement between the European Community and the People’s Republic of
Bangladesh, in force since 1 January 1987, amended by Exchanges of Letters in
1992. The Agreement regulates the distribution of export licenses from
Bangladesh. It must however be noted that Bangladesh has today no quota
restrictions on its exports to the EU.
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Signatures under the Cooperation
Agreement |
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Taking into account major developments intervened since 1976
such as the creation of the WTO and acknowledging the importance of the
bilateral relations and their emphasis on development and poverty alleviation, a
new Agreement was negotiated at the end of the 1990’s. The
Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and the People’s Republic
of Bangladesh on Partnership and Development
(2)
was signed on 22 May 2000 and entered into force on 1 March 2001.
Article
I of this agreement contains the so-called
Human Rights Clause that the EC includes since the early 1990’s in its
bilateral trade and co-operation agreements with third countries. A Council
decision of May 1995 spells out the basic modalities of this clause, with the
aim of ensuring consistency in the text used and its application. Respect for
human rights and democratic principles underpins the domestic and international
policies of the parties and is an essential part of the Agreement. Besides this
key element, the objectives of the Cooperation are laid down as follows:
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To support sustainable economic and social development of
Bangladesh and particularly of the poorest sections of its population, with
special emphasis on women, taking into account it’s Least Developed Country
status;
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To secure the conditions for and to promote the increase
and development of two-way trade between the Parties in accordance with the
Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO) and to assist
Bangladesh in diversifying its productive potential;
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To promote investment and economic, technical and cultural
links in their mutual interest;
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To pursue equilibrium between policies of substantial
economic growth, social development and conservation of natural environment.
The Cooperation Agreement also sets up a Joint Commission
which is meeting every alternate year in Dhaka or in Brussels. The role of the
Joint Commission is to ensure the proper functioning and implementation of the
Agreement, set priorities in relations to the aims of the Agreement and
recommendations for promoting its objectives. The Joint Commission held its
first session in Dhaka on 20 November 2001. It established four subgroups
dedicated to economic development, trade cooperation, social development and
governance and human rights. All subgroups held their session between 2002 and
2003, paving the way for the second session of the Joint Commission due to
gather in Brussels in November 2003.
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Agreeing on the National
Indicative Programme |
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There
are however a host of other agreements concluded between the European
Communities and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. Most development
cooperation projects and programmes are actually the results of Financing
Agreements concluded between the parties. The EC development cooperation
priorities in Bangladesh have been outlined in the Country Strategy Paper
(2002-2006).
The fallout was the establishment of a National Indicative
Programme (2003-2005), which was formally agreed upon by both Parties, the
European Commission, represented by the Head of Delegation, Mr. Esko
Kentrschynskyj, and Mr. Anisul Haq Chowdhury, Secretary Economic Relations
Division, Ministry of Finance, People’s Republic of Bangladesh, by the signature
of a Memorandum of Understanding in Dhaka on 24 May 2003.
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