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Sacu, EU to sign interim economic partnership agreement next week
28-Jun-2008 Engineering News
The Southern African Customs Union plans to sign an interim economic partnership agreement with the European Union next week. At the end of 2007, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland had all decided to initiate an Interim EPA with the EU, but South Africa had decided against. The union on Friday said all five of its members were now working together, and that the union intended to sign an interim EPA with the EU by July 1.
EU multi-level trade policy: neither coherent nor development-friendly
26-Jun-2008
The EU is demanding far-reaching trade concessions by developing countries which will help to increase their vulnerability. To merely include some paragraphs that all parties will respect and promote human and worker’s rights is just plain insufficient.
RP fishers buck EU-ASEAN free trade deal
26-Jun-2008
A group of small-scale fishers in the Philippines is against a free trade deal between the European Union (EU) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Petition: Suspend EU-Israel Association Agreement
26-Jun-2008 Petitionsite
Sign this petition which calls for an immediate suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and any further trade between Israel and EU Member States in protest against Israel’s continued violation of human rights of the Palestinian people.
Jamaica to sign EPA with Europe
26-Jun-2008 Radio Jamaica
Prime Minister Bruce Golding has announced that Jamaica is to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe on July 15. But he added that the signing could be called off if there is wide scale opposition.
Devastating floods - man made
26-Jun-2008 Germanwatch
This brochure by Germanwatch and FIAN describes the negative impacts of european exports of poultry and tomato puree on the right to food of Ghanaian smallholder farmers and refers to the further threats by the new economic partnership agreement.
Latin America could halt EU trade talks over return directive
25-Jun-2008 EU Observer
Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa, has warned that trade talks between the European Union and the Andean Community could be suspended if the 27-member bloc pushes ahead with its new immigration law.
Labour movement left out of EPA negotiations
25-Jun-2008
Senior Trade Union Leaders in the region are upset that the Caribbean Labour Movement was not afforded enough imput in shaping the European Union CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) initialled last December.
Europe drive vs workers assailed
24-Jun-2008 ABS-CBN
A regional coalition of civil-society organizations in Southeast Asia has criticized the European Parliament decision mandating the forcible deportation of undocumented workers in Europe. The decision negates the goals of the proposed EU free-trade deal with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), seeking to open trade and investments including the seamless entry of Asean workers to Europe.
Not much hope for Charest’s vision of Canada-Europe free trade agreement
21-Jun-2008 The Gazette
At last week’s international economic forum in Montreal, there was plenty of talk about an initiative being pushed by Premier Jean Charest: a Canada-Europe free trade agreement.
EU decision to upgrade relationship with Israel reveals Europe’s selective adherence to human rights standards
21-Jun-2008 AIC
Monday’s announcement for increased relations concerns three areas: diplomatic cooperation; Israel’s participation in European plans and agencies; and an examination of possible Israeli integration into the European Single Market.
Some interim EPAs may not be concluded
18-Jun-2008 AllAfrica.com
Some of the 35 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states that have initialled interim economic partnership agreements (EPAs) may still withdraw from the process — apart from the 44 states that have so far refused to sign EPAs with the European Union — according to researchers studying the fraught trade negotiating process.
Hard bargains: Bilateral trade pacts draw domestic objections
17-Jun-2008 FT
The fear of having other countries steal a march on Washington by signing their own deals may bring Congress back to the bilateral trade negotiating table.
Anti EPA groups protest at White Hall!
17-Jun-2008 St Lucia Star
On Thursday June 12, organizations from around the region staged a protest against the EU-Caribbean Economic Partnership Agreement in front of White Hall, the prime minister’s office in Trinidad.
Israel seeking an upgrading of its relations with the EU and to obtain "special status"
16-Jun-2008 AIC
On Monday June 16th, the EU-Israel Association Council will convene for the eighth time. For Israel the stakes are high.
S. Korea, Europe seek FTA conclusion in 2008
16-Jun-2008 Korea Times
Europe wants to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA) with South Korea by the year’s end to further boost bilateral economic ties
Obstacles to EU-Asean FTA
13-Jun-2008 The Nation
A free-trade agreement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the European Union is unlikely to take shape soon because of the big discrepancies between Asean members and political problems in Burma, said Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht.
GCC rejects strings to EU free trade deal
13-Jun-2008 Middle East Online
Gulf Cooperation Council says will not accept any political conditions by the European Union to sign a free trade agreement. The EU’s final position is expected in July.
Ottawa et Paris s’entendent pour appuyer le libre-échange Canada-Europe
12-Jun-2008 La Presse Canadienne
La France et le Canada ont officiellement convenu mercredi d’appuyer ensemble le projet de partenariat économique canado-européen, dont le premier ministre québécois Jean Charest s’est fait le plus ardent promoteur.
Oxfam: rethink unfair EU trade deals before it’s too late
11-Jun-2008 Oxfam press release
Oxfam launched a new research paper today at UNCTAD XII in Ghana. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the proposed (I)EPA texts and makes a number of recommendations: to evaluate the deals before they are signed, to provide an alternative for countries that choose not to sign and to renegotiate contentious clauses.