Some countries abandoned the last negotiation round, as Europe maintains its ground despite Central American pressure.
The delegations from Nicaragua and El Salvador will return to their countries to consult on the last European proposals, which they deem insufficient.
Costa Rica will pile on the pressure until an adequate ‘balance’ is reached. “Europe must understand our needs, this is crucial”, said head negotiator Roberto Echandi.
Central America won’t face commercial sanctions for failing to comply with environmental or labor regulations.
Additionally, the chapter forbids countries from reducing labor or environmental standards in order to attract investment.
Roberto Echandi, head of the Costa Rican delegation, commented that “…this chapter is one of the most important breakthroughs achieved so far at the VIII negotiation round”.
Rubén Morales, Guatemalan Economy Minister, said there was some progress in the market access topic, but refused to give details.
The head of the Costa Rican delegation, Roberto Echandi, also reported advances in rules of origin.
“The EU has been more receptive”, he said, adding they closed two chapters on commercial defense and some aspects related to sanitary and phitosanitary measures.
The region achieved an important result, as industrial goods will be able to enter Europe without paying tariffs.
Costa Rica’s trade ministry (Comex) believes this will make investors feel safer.
“Roberto Echandi, chief negotiator for Costa Rica, informed the Europeans liked another proposal by the region to include a special safeguard for these products. It would automatically increase prices if there are massive imports a particular good”, reported Nacion.com.
Facing the suspension of negotiations, next week the country will begin an offensive with the objective of achieving an agreement.
The Costa Rican negotiator before the European Union, Roberto Echandi, said that given the political situation in the region, they can look for alternative solutions, such as achieving a technical closing of the agreement.
The countries of the isthmus may import resins for plastic manufacture in the region for subsequent export.
The chief Costa Rican negotiator, Roberto Echandi, also reported that progress was made in some service areas.
Marvin Barquero, in his article in Nacion.com reported the chief negotiator’s statements: "They initially requested a lot of openness in courier and postal services. In the first case, there is no problem. However, Costa Rica has a problem with the second one. In yesterday's meeting, the European negotiators relaxed their position with regard to postal services."
During the seventh round of negotiations, the European Union required opening the markets of professional, postal, courier and transport services.
The requirement of the opening the service sectors by the European Union was not accompanied by changes in its offer for the points of greatest interest to Central America such as bananas, sugar, rum, products with high sugar content and meat.
The European Union again noted its interest in an integrated Central America where there is a free flow of investments, goods and services.
The seventh round of negotiations of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Central America opened in Honduras with the explicit indication by Petros Mavromichalis, political negotiator of the EU that "regional integration remains a subject of great importance for us. We're not talking about philosophical considerations, but rather a practical analysis of the tangible effects on our agreement to the free movement of goods, services and investment in Central America and Europe; this for us is of paramount importance." This is how German Rivas explained the process in an article in Laprensagrafica.com.
The negotiations for the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union are the stage for mutual accusations.
The persistent refusal by Costa Rica to integrate the Central American Parliament and the Central American Court of Justice is at the center of the obstruction allegations in the negotiations of the Regional Agreements with the European Union, which should be finished by May of this year.
It will be difficult for Central America to reach an agreement with the European Union to accept the entrance of the amount of sugar the negotiators want into its territories.
Raquel Guerra reports in an article on Elfinancierocr.com that the chief European trade negotiator, Rupert Schlgelmilch, said that: "They (the Central American countries) want a lot, they want a lot more than what we are offering, however this is not something that will block the negotiations at this stage."
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.
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