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Caribbean

Caribbean nations grapple with biofuel issues
28-Oct-2007 USA Today
In the United States, experts debate whether biofuel growth in the tropics will cut into profits for Midwest producers. Special free-trade agreements with those countries can make it less expensive to ship ethanol from there to the US coasts.
Caribbean may sue to reinstate EU sugar deal
12-Oct-2007 IPS
Caribbean Community leaders may try to reinstate the EU sugar protocol through an international court.
The gloves are off — Europe dismisses sugar, insults tourism ahead of ’make-or-break’ trade talks
5-Oct-2007 Jamaica Gleaner
Tempers flare as Caricom trade negotiators and the European Commission work with an October 15 deadline to initial an EU-Caribbean EPA
Caribbean grapples with loss of EU sugar deal
3-Oct-2007 IPS
Last week, the EU unilaterally renounced a 32-year sugar protocol that had guaranteed fixed quotas and prices for ACP countries, with no clear indications of how exactly sugar will be treated in the new EPAs.
Hope diminishing for new Caribbean-EU trade agreement
30-Sep-2007 Jamaica Gleaner
As September draws to a close, the likelihood diminishes that an economic partnership agreement (EPA) is achievable this year between the European Union and the Caribbean.
New free trade talks to start later this year
21-Jul-2007
The Caribbean’s chief trade negotiator says discussions on a draft for a new free trade agreement between Canada and the 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will begin later this year.
OECS trade ministers discuss European trade
18-Jul-2007
OECS Trade Ministers accommodated the European Commission’s principal negotiator for the Economic Partnership Agreement, Karl Falkenburg on Wednesday.
A new colonialism? EU trade demands and ACP countries
16-Jun-2007
The European Union (EU) has been pushing African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to conclude Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) by the end of the year, claiming that preferences which they now enjoy will not be approved by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) come next year.
New EU market access offer unacceptable - region’s sugar group
30-May-2007
The Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) is calling for a substantial improvement in the current access of sugar to the European Union (EU) market.
Growing sense that Caribbean-EC negotiations may be in trouble
29-Apr-2007
A few days ago an influential political friend of the region asked about the current state of the negotiations between the Caribbean and the Europe for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
Caricom wants ’special provisions’ for sugar, bananas
12-Apr-2007 Jamaica Gleaner
The EU concession announced last week to remove all remaining quota and tariff restrictions on ACP products includes a phase-out period for rice and sugar, but does not mention bananas.
Free trade deal on tap
5-Mar-2007
The Caribbean Community intends to negotiate a free trade agreement with Central America perhaps within the next six months, the organization’s top official says.
July deadline for Carib/Europe economic negotiations
19-Feb-2007 Jamaica Gleaner
All unresolved aspects of the EU-Caribbean EPA negotiations have to be completed at least in outline by the end of July 2007
EU: fourth phase agenda with Caribbean EPA passed
13-Dec-2006 FreshPlaza
The meeting of Caribbean Ministers with Europe’s Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson resulted in the agreement of the agenda for the fourth phase of negotiations of the EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement). The main objective of this phase is to reconcile texts of previous phases.
Unequal partners
21-Nov-2006 Oxfam New Zealand
This paper by Claire Godfrey provides a wide-ranging look at the many problems with the EPAs, and investigates how these could impact on the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries’ future development.
Time running out on European trade pacts
16-Oct-2006 Jamaica Gleaner
When European and Caribbean Ministers meet in Brussels in November, there will be an urgent need to reach an understanding on what is achievable.
Draft EU-Caribbean EPA - services non-paper (Aug 2006)
16-Oct-2006
Overview of bilateral free trade and investment agreements
13-Oct-2006
A general overview of free trade agreements and bilateral investment treaties that have been signed or are being negotiated all over the world. Organised by region, it provides a snapshot of the many processes currently under way, some of the controversies they raise and opposition movements against these agreements.
Commentary - Caribbean frustrated with Europe
19-Jul-2006 Jamaica Gleaner
To the incomprehension of some in Brussels, the relationship between the Caribbean and the European Commission has now reached the level of confrontation over the development orientation of economic partnership agreements (EPAs).
Europeans seek integration of the Dominican Republic into the Caribbean
4-Jun-2006 Dominican Today
One of the little understood aspects of the negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe is that it requires the determination of which nations constitute the region.