bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

EU

Uruguay favors more trade accords, with or without Mercosur
15-Sep-2008 MercoPress
Uruguay formally proposed its Mercosur partners to begin a round of negotiations geared to reach trade agreements with the European Union, United States, South Korea and Canada.
EU to sign Asean amity, cooperation treaty
14-Sep-2008 The Nation
Despite Thailand’s political uncertainty the European Union remains keen to negotiate a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) with the Kingdom as a way to facilitate progress on a wider Asean-EU FTA.
Open letter from the Caribbean Conference of Churches
13-Sep-2008 Caribbean Net News
While it has been asserted that failure to conclude the agreement within the timeframe dictated by the E.C. would threaten Caribbean exports to Europe, we feel that our leaders should not be constrained to pursue a course of action which could prove to be adverse to our people in the long run.
India-EU trade agreement unlikely this year
12-Sep-2008 Business Standard
Negotiations for an ambitious free trade agreement between India and the European Union are on track but are unlikely to be completed by end of 2008, EC Ambassador to India said today.
EU, South Korea deal worries Turkey
12-Sep-2008 Turkish Daily News
A soon-to-be-finalized free trade agreement between the European Union and South Korea is causing concern for Turkey, as its market will be indirectly opened to South Korean products due to its customs union agreement with the EU.
Ecuador likely to negotiate bilateral association agreement with EU
12-Sep-2008 ANDINA
Ecuador would agree with Peru and Colombia to negotiate a bilateral Association Agreement between the Andean Community (CAN) and the European Union (EU), stated Thursday Peru’s minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Mercedes Aráoz.
An ominous week
11-Sep-2008 Starbroek News
To the man in the street, it seems that the EPA, and the debate on it, have split Caricom governments, and that the prospects for their arriving at some harmonious agreement at this week’s Caricom meeting are not good.
Protect and survive
11-Sep-2008 monbiot.com
Many are aware that the European equation of fair trade with free trade is nonsense, writes George Monbiot
Trade battler tries to avoid a big crash
9-Sep-2008 IHT
Peter Mandelson once said he would be the last man standing in the marathon push for a global trade deal, but as his time as Europe’s trade chief ticks away, he may have to settle for smaller prizes.
Caribbean leaders urged to reject EU treaty
8-Sep-2008 RI
Church leaders in the Caribbean have urged regional governments to reject the Economic Partnership Agreement proposed by the European Union, saying the terms of the treaty would harm the economy, marginalize the poor, and undermine the Caribbean’s democratic institutions.
Let’s not build the EPA in the graveyard of regionalism
8-Sep-2008 Jamaica Gleaner
The Cariforum Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) was initialled last December under extreme pressure of time and the threat of imposition of punitive tariffs on Caribbean exports in European Union (EU) markets. In the past nine months this 1,000 plus- page agreement has been examined closely, and found wanting in several respects. Every effort needs to be made to fix the problematic features before the agreement is legally cast in stone.
Guyana stakeholders ’roundly condemn’ Cariforum EPA
8-Sep-2008 Norman Girvan
Senior representatives of the government, the opposition political parties, the trade union movement, the private sector, religious bodies and other non-governmental organizations unanimously called on regional leaders not to sign it in its present form.
EPA signing fiasco: a high-stakes gamble
7-Sep-2008 Jamaica Gleaner
As matters stand, Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Belize, The Bahamas and St Vincent have said that they want to sign; St Lucia says it will not; Guyana is holding a public consultation; Grenada wants more time; and there is silence from almost all other Cariforum states. Meanwhile, some opposition parties have publicly disassociated themselves, most notably, in Jamaica and Antigua.
India-EU trade talks to resume ahead of Paris summit
7-Sep-2008 Economic Times
After clinching a deal with ASEAN on a Free Trade Agreement, negotiations will resume this week for a market-opening pact between India and EU, ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and French President Nicolas Sarkozy holding their summit talks in Paris later this month.
Dominica to sign EU trade agreement, avoid tariffs
5-Sep-2008 IHT
Dominica says it will sign a trade agreement with the European Union despite opposition from other Caribbean leaders.
Standing firm and acting together against EPAs!
5-Sep-2008
The EPAs are not fundamentally concerned about African development but are designed to further the geo-economic aims of the ‘Global Europe’ strategy being pushed from Brussels in the interest of European corporations and capital. Declaration from Africa Trade Network.
Central America, the Caribbean and the impact of the European trade agenda
4-Sep-2008 RMR
Latin American businessmen have long been lobbying for free trade agreements with the EU.
Jamaica: EPA debate sparks Opposition walkout of Parliament
4-Sep-2008 Radio Jamaica
A marathon debate on the contentious Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Bill ended in disarray in Jamaica Tuesday night after Members of the Opposition walked out of Parliament. The walkout was the first of its kind in almost 30 years but it failed to prevent the passage of the Bill which was done before the end of the sitting.
The story of IIRSA
4-Sep-2008
Colourful booklet for popular outreach on the struggle of Latin American people versus mega infrastructure projects and trade negotiations with the European Union.
International labor caucus takes critical look at EU-ASEAN FTA
2-Sep-2008 Partido ng Manggagawa
Workers groups from the ASEAN nations met this August 24-27, 2008 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to take a stand and plan campaigns against the proposed EU-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.