Peter Šťastný, rapporteur for the opinion of the Committee on International Trade. – Mr President, the Lisbon Treaty has given the European Parliament new powers in the field of international trade agreements and the Committee on International Trade intends to put these new powers to good use.

A flexibility instrument in the Banana Accompanying Measures will help producing countries face new challenges and will benefit EU consumers and the least-developed countries. Trade-related assistance, such as EPAs and Aid for Trade, will stimulate growth through trade not only with the EU, but also trade within the regions.

To conclude, I will mention our focus on the parliamentary dimension of the WTO and external business interests in India, ASEAN and China. Relations with fast-growing countries through such centres will benefit our economies in general, and SMEs in particular.