Decision 566
Creation of an Andean Export Promotion Authorities Committee

THE ANDEAN COMMUNITY COMMISSION,

HAVING SEEN: Article 3, conforming to law a), and 122 of the Cartagena Agreement; VI.2, conforming to law e) of decision 458 which approves guidelines for a common foreign policy; articles 36 and 367 of Decision 471, which contain the Regulations of the Andean Community Commission and proposal 113 of the General Secretariat; and,

CONSIDERING: that, according to the Cartagena Agreement, Andean Community member countries will engage in external actions in areas of common interest with the purpose of improving their participation in the international economy;

That, along these lines, Decision 458 indicates the guidelines for a common foreign policy for Andean Community member countries, which, amongst other aspects, diffuses trade opportunities for products and services and promotes the attraction of foreign investment. For this purpose, the Andean countries will develop programs, projects and actions geared towards achieving greater economic and trade insertion in the international flows of goods and services;

That the XII Andean Presidential Council will instruct the decision making bodies of the Agreement that they should design and execute a program to drive competitiveness and complementary actions amongst Andean productive sectors while promoting development of new businesses in the service sector and encouraging strategic sectorial alliances with the purpose of defining a Program on Business Promotion that is directed primarily at those countries and regions that maintain trade and cooperation agreements with the Andean Community;

That it is necessary to agree upon efforts for the development of common trade promotion activities;

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To create an Andean Committee of export promotion authorities (CAAPE), which will be comprised of national authorities responsible for export promotion in each member country and who will designate the representatives- accredited before the General Secretariat of the Andean Community by the Fully Empowered Representative for each country before the Commission- who will participate in each meeting.

Article 2.- The Andean Committee of Export Promotion Authorities will advise and support the Commission and the General Secretariat of the Andean Community in the following areas relative to the communitarian policy on exports promotion:

a). Identification of the Andean exportable offer and the formulation of a sub regional strategy proposals for the promotion of exports with the purpose of developing programs and joint projects that increase sub regional trade and world market share.

b). To promote an increase in and the complementary activity of the sub regional exportable offer through forums, negotiation rounds, seminars and other similar activities.

c). To support the Commission and the General Secretary of the Andean Community in the design of basic guidelines for a plan of action for Andean export promotion and the promotion of its execution.

d). Elaboration of proposal for promotion and coordination in relations with other trade promotion organisms and international cooperation entities.

e). To recommend and promote lines of action that permit small and medium industries of member countries to reach quality and production standards that allow them to better incorporate their production within the exportable supply.

f). To propitiate the exchange of knowledge and experiences regarding the mechanisms and programs for export promotion and the formulation of policies and strategies.

g). To manage international technical cooperation for the execution of export development projects.

In fulfillment of the present article, the committee will adopt its internal regulations, the same which will establish the mechanisms for its organization and functioning as well as determine the participation of representatives from the private sector in committee meetings.

Article 3.- The General Secretariat of the Andean Community will exercise the Technical Secretariat of the CAAPE meeting.

Article 4.- This decision will become effective after its publication in the official docket of the Cartagena Agreement.

Transitory Disposition

ONLY.- The General Secretariat of the Andean Community will coordinate the designation of the representatives of member countries and will call for the first Ordinary Meeting of the Andean Committee of Export Promotion Authorities within a period of two months following the date upon which this decision comes into effect, upon which the Committee will approve its internal regulation.

Set forth in the city of Lima, Peru, on the second day of the month of September 2003.