African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) banana-producing countries have criticised the new agreement reached between Europe and Latin American to end their long-running trade dispute, and have accused Europe of abandoning its promise to help them develop their economies.

In particular, the ACP has accused Baroness Cathy Ashton, the EU's outgoing trade commissioner, of abandoning Europe's commitment to tackling poverty as a result of the trade deal that ends a 16-year 'banana war'.

The new accord is expected to be signed this week, bringing to an end one of the world's longest-running trade disputes.

Infuriated

But in offering to slash import taxes on bananas from Latin America, from €176 (US$262) a tonne to €114 (US$170) over the next seven years, Europe has infuriated ACP countries - many of them former colonies - which have traditionally had special access to Europe's markets.

ACP agriculture ministers met in an emergency meeting after details of the Geneva Agreement on Trade in Bananas emerged, and on Sunday issued a strongly worded statement, warning that "the coming days could spell the end of the era when Europe considered the fight against poverty a priority".

With Caribbean countries, such as the Windward Islands, heavily dependent on the banana trade, ACP countries said they were deeply concerned that exposing Caribbean growers to tough competition from Latin America could devastate the livelihoods of thousands of poor farmers.

They said the banana deal is evidence that in adopting a 'global Europe' strategy in the Lisbon Treaty, the EU is abandoning its commitment to countries with which it has had long historical ties.