The European Union gave in on its desire that regarding interparlamentary dialogue, Central American representation would be exclusively be by Parlacen.
In this dialogue, Costa Rica will be represented by a member of its Legislative Assembly while other Central America countries will be represented via the regional organism.
This was reported in the article on Elfinancierocr.com: "Since the start of negotiations, in October 2006, Costa Rica made it known that it will not join Parlacen, especially in light of the European insistence that the region be united for the biregional negotiations.
It is expected that the EU will present its offer for sugar in two days, within the framework of the VI Round of negotiations being held in Brussels.
The Minister of Foreign Trade for Costa Rica, Marco Vinicio Ruiz, said to Elfinancierocr.com: "There has been a lot of progress in the commercial part. "Most of our products, close to 90%, will enter with zero tariff. The idea is to discuss senstive products during the rest of the week."
The tariff reduction proposal presented by the EU within the framework of the negotiations for the Agreement of Association does not satisfy Central American
Nacion.com reports: "The Costa Rican Minister of Foreign Trade, Marco Vinicio Ruiz, did not provide details on the European proposal as they are still in negotiations and the Isthmus has to respond this week.
The Agreement of Association between two block of nations will be the first such agreement signed by the European Union.
The Costa Rican Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Central America is ready to close the negotiation of the Agreement of Association with the European Union (EU) by next May, becoming the first zone in the world with which Europe will have complete a successful agreement (block to block).
The European Union has announced this aid to help with the integration of the region ahead of the next round of negotiations for reaching an agreement of association.
Prensa.com reports: "With this aid package, the community Executive wants to contribute to the consolidation of the regional institutions in Central America and the participation of the social organizations in the process, the EC indicated in a release."
This week in Guatemala negotiators from Central America will define the new proposal that they will present at the next round of negotiations in Brussels.
Elconomista.es reports "that the Guatemalan Foreign Minister, Alfredo Trinidad, commented that of the three pillars of the negotiations: commercial, political and cooperation, they hope to make the most progress with the second.
Central America asked the EU to offer preferential treatment for market access for organic products in the agreement of association.
The request, presented this week in Brussels, is for Central American goods created with these characteristics to have preferential tariffs in comparison to traditional goods.
This treatment will depend on whether or not Central America can reach the same agreement for preferential treatment for ordinary products.
The European Union does not accept the proposal for special regimes within the framework of negotiations with the Isthmus.
The regional proposal which includes the export of production under special regimes, including free zones, has become a new impasse in negotiations between the EU and CA.
The proposal was rejected by the Europeans during a mini-round on Rules of Origin, which included representatives from the Governments of both groups, that was held from December 3-5 in Brussels, Belgium.
The countries of Central America already made an offer of 90% of the tariff items that they will allow the European Union.
According to the Guatemalan vice minister of Foreign Trade, Ruben Morales, the negotiating teams from the region agreed to the 90% of the items as required by the EU at a private meeting that was held for one week in Guatemala.
Central American coffee growers have agreed to stay out of the negotiations for a trade agreement with the European Union.
The best gain from the tariff removal would be for toasted coffee which only represent 1% of exports.
In addition, the EU continues to demand the implementation of a flexible rule of origin for coffee, while the Central American want the rule of origin for the grain to be strict, so that the origin of the coffee should be the place where it is grown and harvested.
The technical teams will meet in Guatemala next week to come up with a consensus for the proposal that they will take to the sixth round of negotiations.
The main negotiators and the technical teams will meet from November 24 to 28 to try to establish their main positions for the sixth round of negotiations, which will be held in Brussels, Belgium, from December 8 to 12.
The main result of the meeting held in Guatemala in October was the longed-for SGP+ for CA.
During the V Round of the Association Agreement between Central America (CA) and the European Union (EU) the biggest advancement regarding trade was the EU's offer of making 94% of the products tariff-free. In return, the Eu demanded a similar opening by CA.
The topic will be one of the points for discussion during the International Coffee Week being organized in Costa Rica from November 13-15.
The executive president of the Costa Rica Coffee Institute (ICAFE), Ronald Peters, said to the La Prensa Libre" daily that Costa Rica and the rest of Central America will continue to advocate for the adoption of a strict rule of origin in order to prevent Europe from importing coffee from other places in the world and that would make Central America tariff-free.
Central America is preparing its next commercial offer that should be presented in Brussels (Belgium) in January.
The region should restart a series of consultations with the productive sectors, but this time it should include those that have been in the so called F basket, which is for those products that need special treatment or which are simple excluded from the negotiations.
The European Union is willing to negotiate better access for Central American banana within the framework of the bi-regional agreement of association.
The chief European negotiator, Rupert Schlgemilch, said to EF that the solution for banana is not only in Geneva, since this negotiation is about a preferential agreement, he cannot imaging the possibility of excluding banana and leaving it to be resolved by the WTO.