K. whereas all states in CA benefit from the Generalised System of Preferences Plus scheme (GSP+), which will cease to apply on 31 December 2013; whereas the new GSP scheme will exclude, without exception, all the countries defined as upper-middle income countries by the World Bank, meaning that Costa Rica and Panama would lose their right to benefit from this system; whereas the GSP is unilateral, temporary, revisable, covers a smaller range of products and excludes most agricultural products, whereas the AA will improve the trading position of all CA states by establishing a new, more comprehensive, secure and mutually beneficial leg ...[+++]al framework; whereas the fact that this new scheme will enable progressive liberalisation in the exchange of goods and services, public procurement and the promotion of investment is welcomed and whereas, since it involves an increased commitment, it should be geared towards stepping up the fight against poverty and exclusion, attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the achievements made in upholding human rights and complying with international standards on society, labour and the environment;

The results of the statistics by citizenship are to be broken down into the following categories: ‘national citizenship’, ‘citizenship of other EU Member States’, ‘citizenship of other European countries’, ‘citizenship of North America’, ‘citizenship of Central and South America’; ‘citizenship of Asia’, ‘citizenship of Africa’, ‘other citizenship’.

21. Notes that banana production in the EU's outermost regions (ORs) meets higher social and environmental standards than is the case in most Latin American countries; draws attention to the fact that in the ORs the use of active agents, such as pesticides, is 20 to 40 times lower than in South and Central American countries, whilst in the phytosanitary field most of the active agents banned under European food safety rules are widely used throughout South and Central American plantations;

21. Notes that banana production in the EU's outermost regions (ORs) meets higher social and environmental standards than is the case in most Latin American countries; draws attention to the fact that in the ORs the use of active agents, such as pesticides, is 20 to 40 times lower than in South and Central American countries, whilst in the phytosanitary field most of the active agents banned under European food safety rules are widely used throughout South and Central American plantations;

Notes the positive conclusion of the negotiations on the EU-Central America Association Agreement which, as a first example of a region-to-region agreement, should contribute, with appropriate accompanying policies, to enhancing not only wealth but also the further integration of Central American countries; takes note of the decision by Panama to begin the process of accession to the Central American Economic Integration Subsystem;

provide in the negotiating guidelines for gradual and reciprocal trade liberalisation, (under terms and conditions characterised by justice and mutual benefit based on complementarity and solidarity) progressive access to European markets for Central American products under competitive terms and conditions, so as to prevent the agreement from aggravating existing asymmetries; accordingly, provide for special, variable and flexible treatment as regards the timetable that is established, depending on the commitments and improvements in the competitiveness achieved by the Central American countries, including EU support measures to promote ...[+++] changes in the production sector and the competitiveness of the Central American economies, such as technology transfer, the inclusion of requirements for home-country content in rules on origin, and the drawing-up of cooperation and technical assistance programmes, while at the same time promoting a stable legal environment and clear ground rules to guarantee the security of the parties" investments and economic and trade relations;