Prime Minister Bruce Golding (left, back row) talks with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, while Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos (left) and Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor listen to proceedings during the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, at the Serena Hotel in Kampala, Uganda, on Friday. - AP

KAMPALA, Uganda (Reuters):

The Commonwealth condemned the European Union (EU) yesterday for scrapping a preferential trade deal with sugar-producing African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries."

The EU voted in September to axe the so-called Sugar Protocol, under which 18 ACP countries receive privileged duty-free access at subsidised prices to the EU market.

"The Commonwealth ... considered the EC's unilateral denunciation of the Sugar Protocol as very regrettable," the club of mostly former British colonies said in a statement at the end of a three-day summit.

Europe initially slashed its sugar subsidies by 36 per cent, in response to a World Trade Organisation ruling that they were illegal, but then scrapped them completely.

Europe has pledged millions of euros to help the ACP countries adapt to the changes.

The EU is offering to continue providing duty-free, quota-free access to its markets for exports by about 80 ACP nations, but only if they scale back import tariffs against each other and Europe - a condition they say will ruin local industry.

Diluted declaration on climate change

The Kampala summit of the 53-nation Commonwealth grouping ended yesterday united behind decisive action against Pakistan but was too divided to issue the tough statement on climate change that vulnerable island nations wanted.

In contrasting outcomes from the three-day meeting, the club of mostly former British colonies overcame divisions to suspend Pakistan because of its failure to lift emergency rule but issued a general and diluted statement on global warming.

Australia, Canada in the way

Opposition from Canada, an oil producer, and the outgoing conservative Australian Government stymied a drive led by Britain and the island nations to issue a strong statement on global warming that would have urged binding targets for emission cuts.

However, newly elected Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has signalled a paradigm shift in policy, suggesting he will make climate change a top priority and ratify the Kyoto pact.

"We believe that a number of developed countries have not given the commitment we expected. They are the main contributors to the imbalance in climatic conditions and they should contribute much more," said Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis.

St. Kitts is among several Caribbean countries likely to be worst hit by global warming, as rising sea levels engulf its populated coast and higher ocean temperatures increase the frequency and severity of hurricanes, scientists say.

The theme of this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was 'Transforming Commonwealth Societies'. Trinidad and Tobago will host the next biennial summit in 2009.