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Regional churches reject Economic Partnership Agreements
Churches from Southern and Eastern Africa have called for a review of the proposed Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the European Union and the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
Trade experts opt for liberal trade regime...reject EPA’s and opts for GSP
Advocacy groups in the country have recommended to the country’s negotiating team in the new trade agreement with the European Union to opt for a more liberal trade pact known as the Generalised System of Preferences plus-scheme.
A matter of political will: How the European Union can maintain market access for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries in the absence of Economic Partnership Agreements
The European Commission has threatened 76 of the world’s poorest countries with lower access to the EU market if they fail to sign new trade deals known as Economic Partnerhip Agreements (EPAs) by the end of 2007. But the threats are not justified.
Questions States must ask about EPAs
There have been myriad commentaries on the ongoing negotiations on Economic Partnership Agreements between the European Union and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The first thing in these debates is the jargon and how much a regular member of our communities would not understand. It’s about time that those who know anything about trade and economic agreements explained this agreement to the rest in simple ’Wanjiku’ language.
Chamber president urges government to sign accord between Caribbean countries and EU
Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce President Christopher Lowe is calling on the Government to seriously consider signing on to the CARIFORUM-EPA -EU trade agreement, claiming that failure to do so could result in the loss of jobs for two major industries on Grand Bahama.
Ghana: Trade coalition condemns ongoing EPA negotiations
Barely two weeks after the European Union proposed to remove all remaining quota and tariff limitations on access to the EU market for all African, Caribbean and Pacific regions as part of the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations (EPAs), a group calling itself the Ghana Trade and Livelihoods Coalition has raised concerns about the ongoing negotiations that are scheduled to be concluded by December 31, 2007.
Development and intellectual property under the EPA negotiations
This South Centre policy brief examines the approach under the ongoing EPA negotiations with respect to innovation, biodiversity and traditional knowledge, public health, Least Developed Countries and on enforcement of intellectual property rights. It concludes that considering the level of economic development in ACP countries, the negotiations should not include IP rights as part of the partnership agreement.
The European approach to intellectual property in European Partnership Agreements with the ACP countries
A CIEL discussion paper on the European Union’s attempts to impose TRIPS-plus standards on 76 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries
Comesa to discuss EPAs
Heads of government and policy organs of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) will meet in the Kenyan capital Nairobi from May 11-23 to consider the progress made on the Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union among other things.
Africa must be careful in its trade pacts with Europeans
The European Union celebrated its 50th birthday on March 25, since the signing of the founding Rome treaty, a pact originally comprising six Western European nations. France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg sealed an economic co-operation that was meant to avoid future wars.
GSP schemes ’best alternative to EPAs’
The European Union (EU) has been accused of trying to introduce structural adjustment in developing African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) nations by way of economic partnership agreements (EPA).
Country prepares for negotiation of EPAs
The Mozambican government is preparing its position for negotiations with the European Union, scheduled to begin in May, on the controversial Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).
EU makes tricky offer more tempting
The European Union has this week sought to increase the likelihood that it will sign controversial free trade agreements with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries by offering to open its markets to virtually all of their agricultural goods.
Put pressure on gov’ts to stop EPA negotiations - ACP countries told
The Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition (GTLC), has called for mass mobilization of people in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to put pressure on their governments to stop the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations while urging various Parliaments not to ratify the agreement if it is signed.
EU defends touchy trade agreements
The Economic Partnership Agreements are not a threat but an opportunity to the member states of African, Caribbean and Pacific group, the EU trade envoy has said.
Produce growers form new network
A regional network for horticultural associations will be launched in Nairobi this week. The network is part of the efforts being made in the region to ensure that the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) meant to replace the current trading regime with the European Union are signed by December.
Bingu’s vision under threat
President Bingu wa Mutharika must have had a brilliant vision for Malawi of shifting its goal posts from being an predominantly importing and consuming country to a predominantly producing and exporting country, when he ascended to the throne in May 2004.
’EU, ACP have agreed on EPAs’
The European Union Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson has said African, Caribbean and Pacific are committed to a consensus on Economic Partnership Agreements before the end of the year.
On tariffs, do what the EU did and not what it says
It has been argued that Kenya and other African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries should sign Economic Partnership Agreements to safeguard revenue and jobs and promote growth and development.
Economic partnership agreements: European Parliament calls for less onerous conditions for ACP countries
Given the delay in the talks and the lack of readiness on the part of the ACP countries, MEPs in the Trade Committee called in a report on Wednesday for the Commission to make the conditions for the agreements less onerous.