Details

MEP Daniel Caspary and Damien Levie from the European Commission (Cabinet of Mr Louis Michel) will introduce into the topic:

"International trade in industrial raw materials:

Elements for an EU Strategy to improve security of supply

and to better address development concerns".

In 2006 the prices of primary commodities jumped to historical levels in nominal terms. According to United Nations Commission on Trade and Development the primary commodities price index increased by over 30 percent between 2005 and 2006 and by 80 between 2000 and 2006, esentially thanks to an increase in the price of oil, metals and ores.

The working group will elaborate on the impacts for European supply security and the implications for developing countries where the volatility of revenues from these commodities can have very diverse effects for poverty alleviation and democratic development.