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ACP


Let spirit of give and take prevail in EPAs deadline
After breaking several self-imposed deadlines for concluding a binding trade pact with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, the European Commission is turning to legal means to end what is fast becoming a circus.
ACP calls for understanding from Europe
Spirited calls from Parliamentary Members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) have appealed for flexibility, empathy and "practical reason" from European authorities, regarding stalled free trade negotiations with their regions, an ACP statement said.
African nations risk losing tax-free access to Europe -EU official
Some African countries could lose tax-free access for exports to the European Union if they fail to sign a deal by next year to replace preferential agreements that the World Trade Organisation has rejected, an EU lawmaker said on Wednesday.
East Africa: Sezibera Optimistic Over EPA Negotiations
The East African Community (EAC), Secretary General Dr. Richard Sezibera has said that the region is committed to succeed in the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
EU to withdraw market access
The European Union is to withdraw its market access for countries that have not signed the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) by 2014.
ACP Group and Brazil make ‘historic’ step towards closer South-South relations
The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) and the Federative Republic of Brazil today signed a landmark agreement to build South-South solidarity through enhanced technical cooperation and dialogue between the two parties.
Developing countries query European bid to abolish sugar quotas
The ACP Sugar Group has recently been made aware through media reports of an “impact study” made by and for the European Commission, reportedly due for release in October 2011. This study refers to proposals for changes in the European sugar regime. It is hoped that this is not accurate as some of the key assumptions and results are more than questionable.
Let the people speak
A quite amazing event took place in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on August 29 and 30. Two hundred representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from China and 19 African countries held a China-Africa People’s Forum.
The future of ACP, Europe relations
ACP–EU relations have been in existence for quite a while but what great gains has it achieved, for at least one of its small islands member in the Pacific, Palau, asks its former Vice President, Sandra Pierantozzi.
Infrastructure crucial for Africa’s trade development
On May 9, the European Community celebrated Europe Day as one of the symbols designed to foster unity among Europeans.
Sanitary, phytosanitary and technical barriers to trade in EPAs
This paper from ICTSD sets out a common vision on issues that could constitute sanitary, phytosanitary and technical barriers in EPAs and investigates how abusive use of these provisions could be an obstacle to market access.
EU must boldly address the issues!
As you may be well aware, Namibia has yet to sign the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU). It is gratifying to see the EU, in the face of Namibian insistence, eventually shifting and being prepared to further listen to Namibia, negotiating and thrashing out Namibia’s reservations about the contents of the IEPA.
CSOs insist govt should re-think EPAs
As the East African Community Ministers converge in the Tanzanian capital of Dar-es-Salaam with a possibility of signing the long awaited Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), Civil Society Organisations are still thinking otherwise.
EAC legislators set terms for new trade deal with Europe
The East African Legislative Assembly wants member states to delay the signing of new economic partnership deals with Europe until outstanding issues are resolved.
EU trade pacts
A new study shows that the effects of EPAs - under which African, Caribbean and Pacific countries are expected to offer duty-free access to ’substantially all’ EU imports - will be felt differently by women and men in their roles as producers, consumers and users of services.
EU’s Economic Partnership Agreements – the continuation of colonialism by other means
The European Union, along with powers like the USA and Japan, has long had a policy of establishing economic relations with former colonies that impose the will of imperialism on the economic development of these countries. Supposedly instruments designed for “poverty alleviation”; in reality their main purpose is to open the markets of these poorer countries to goods flowing in from the advanced capitalist nations.
APE : les militants de 30 pays demandent à l’UE de revoir radicalement sa copie
Le 27 septembre 2009 marque le 7ème anniversaire du lancement des négociations des Accords de partenariat économique (APE). Depuis 2004, les organisations de la société civile de l’Union européenne (UE) et des pays d’Afrique des Caraïbes et du Pacifique (ACP) ont intitulé cette journée « Journée mondiale d’action contre les APE » pour protester contre la démarche européenne sur les APE.
Wanted: A stable but fair EU deal
The failure by the European Union on the one hand and African, Caribbean and Pacific nations on the other to conclude their Economic Partnership Agreements by July 31 this year, the agreed deadline, does not augur well for trade between the two sides.
EPA: EU bows to pressure, moves deadline
The European Union may have bowed to pressure from Nigeria and other African Caribbean and Pacific countries by shifting the commencement of the controversial Economic Partnership Agreement from the June 30 deadline to October 2009.
EU targets free trade deals under Swedish presidency
The first trade priority for the upcoming Swedish presidency of the European Union is to close the free trade agreement with South Korea