<s>[INST] The next text is a question of a member of the European parliament:"In the International Trade Committee's hearing with Commissioner Ashton on 20October and in her subsequent remarks to the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 10-11November, the Commissioner has made very welcome comments regarding the need for flexibility in the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations. Can the Commission outline what flexibility it intends to offer to ACP countries in practice? As well as the efforts to take into account concerns of ACP countries when moving from interim to full EPAs, does the Commission intend to take a flexible approach in its implementation of the EPAs and, in particular, of the Cariforum EPA?"
Analyze carefully the text and assign it to the most relevant policy area among those listed below. Do not explain your answer and return only a number.
Policy area numbers: 1 = Macroeconomics
2 = Civil Rights, Minority Issues and Civil Liberties
3 = Health
4 = Agriculture and Fisheries
5 = Labour, employment and pensions
6 = Education
7 = Environment
8 = Energy
9 = Immigration
10 = Transportation
12 = Law and Crime
13 = Social welfare
14 = Regional and Urban issues and Planning
15 = Banking, finance and domestic commerce issues
16 = Defence
17 = Space, science, technology, and communications issues
18 = Foreign trade
19 = International affairs and foreign aid
20 = Governance and government
21 = Public Lands, Water Management and Territorial Issues
23 = Culture and media
[/INST]. Answer = [18]. </s>
In the International Trade Committee's hearing with Commissioner Ashton on 20October and in her subsequent remarks to the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 10-11November, the Commissioner has made very welcome comments regarding the need for flexibility in the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations. Can the Commission outline what flexibility it intends to offer to ACP countries in practice? As well as the efforts to take into account concerns of ACP countries when moving from interim to full EPAs, does the Commission intend to take a flexible approach in its implementation of the EPAs and, in particular, of the Cariforum EPA?