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EPAs


EU begins to soften its position on EPA negotiations
In what could be described as a softening of its position on the Economic Partnership Agreements negotiations between EU and ECOWAS, the EU’s Ghana office says it is hopeful that the concerns of ECOWAS would be addressed “before” the implementation of the EPAs begin.
Impasses probables dans les négociations internationales : Le fameux Plan B du ministre «Decroix»
Le Sénégal ne voit plus, semble-t-il, le besoin de poursuivre les négociations commerciales internationales si les choses n’évoluent pas.
SADC Peoples Summit declaration
We are particularly concerned that the EU’s plan for so-called Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA’s) with our countries is having the effect of splitting SADC into two groups and undermining the potential for our future co-ordinated regional programmes for mutual economic and social development.
Malawian farmers union wary of EU trade deal
Farmers in Malawi have warned government to tread carefully before endorsing the European Union’s Economic Partnership Agreement, saying signing the deal will put the country’s agricultural products at the risk of not finding the international market.
European Union, ECOWAS to regulate trade
The European Union (EU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have decided to negotiate an agreement to regulate their trade relations under the new World Trade Organization (WTO) Compatible Framework.
Civil society groups want African leaders to stop trade talks with EU
African Civil Society has called on the governments to stop negotiations on the proposed Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union EU, saying it would undermine development and lead to increased poverty.
Tanzania’s multi-block membership reaffirmed by SADC
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has okayed Tanzania’s multi-regional block membership, thus paying the way for the east African country to remain in SADC with its East African Community affiliation.
Commentary - Caribbean frustrated with Europe
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).
Tanzania: Country in precarious position over trade pact
Tanzania is lagging behind in preparing to sign a deal that will determine how it trades with Europe for a long time to come.
No EPA without investment rules and full reciprocity, Falkenberg insists!
Karl Falkenberg, Deputy Director-General of Trade at the European Commission, says its is not worth having an Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and ECOWAS if the Agreement did not enshrine Free Trade Agreement-style full reciprocity between the parties and liberalised rules for Investment.
Regional leaders to discuss global trade issues today
Jamaica’s Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller will chair the prime ministerial sub-committee on External Trade Negotiations today, according to a Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretariat statement issued here yesterday.
Opening of the 9th Roundtable Meeting for Pacific Island Countries on WTO and Regional Trade Agreements
Jim Anderton opened the 9th Round Table meeting for Pacific Island Countries on WTO and regional trade agreement provisions in Wellington today. He stressed that although currently only three Pacific Island Countries are WTO members, it is important to become part of the multilateral trade system.
Mandelson/EPAs: Remarks to ACP Ministers
In this speech to ACP Ministers in Brussels EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson argues that EPAs offer the best possible framework for a new generation of trade relations between the EU and the ACP countries.
Economic Partnership Agreements: Family farmers speak out!
At the initiative of the Network of Farmers’ and Agricultural Producers’ Organizations of West Africa (ROPPA), leaders of three small farmers’ networks from ACP regions met in parallel to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Vienna on 19 June 2006 to assess the process of negotiation of Economic Partnership Agreements between their regions and the European Union.
Dominican delegation to propose creating adjustment funds in European negotiations
The Dominican Republic, jointly with the other CARICOM (Caribbean) nations will propose to the ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) countries, creating structural adjustment funds to cover costs of the transition toward free trade, within the framework of negotiations with the European Union.
ACP want additional resources from EU
Pacific Island countries want the European Union to allocate additional resources to cover the costs of the regions adjustments when the Economic Partnership Agreement comes into effect.
Pacific ACP trade ministers meet in Nadi, Fiji
The Pacific ACP Trade Ministers Meeting was held in Nadi, Fiji, on 19 and 20 June 2006.
EU promises are hollow: Pacific society groups
Civil society groups from 12 Pacific countries meeting in Nadi, question what’s in it for the Pacific in negotiations on a Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU.
Economic Partnership Agreement would collapse Ghana’s feeble economy
Nana Akomea, Chairman of Ghana’s Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade, called for regional integration between ECOWAS countries as the way forward to economic development. An Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and ECOWAS, as provided for in the Cotonou Agreement, would only cripple Ghana’s feeble agricultural sector and other local industries.
Ghana is ill prepared for EPA - Study
Empirical studies conducted on the impact of the proposed Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) on Ghana has shown that the country is ill prepared and would face detrimental effects if it decides to join now.