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EPAs must serve as a wake up call for Ghanaians - CEPA
8-May-2008
The Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA), Dr Joe Abbey has challenged Ghanaians to take advantage of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) to raise their production capacities. He explained that the EPAs must serve as a wake-up call to the country instead of thinking of creating barriers to stop the entry of European goods. "The status quo of sitting down and only repeating our story of how we have been colonized must be stopped. Let us look at the hard facts and deal with it," he said.
Activists Slam Trade Ministry Over EPAs
6-May-2008
Civil society organisations and the parliamentarians last week clashed with the trade ministry officials over the signing of an interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPAs) with the European Union.
Africa’s trade unions want EU trade agreements scrapped
5-May-2008
Africa’s trade unions called on their governments to nullify the interim trade agreements they have signed with the European Union, saying they leave African nations "weak" within the global market.
MPs want Uganda out of EAC-EU trade deal
5-May-2008 East African
Parliamentarians are pressurising Uganda to revoke the interim trade agreement signed between the European Union and the East African Community.
PM again bats for EPA signed with Europe
3-May-2008
Prime Minister Bruce Golding has again sought to allay fears that CARIFORUM countries may have given up more than they will gain from the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union.
Israel, EU agree on trade concessions
1-May-2008 Jerusalem Post
Once the agreement comes into effect, export volumes of Israeli processed foods to the EU are expected to more than double. "These concessions represent a major step forward in the integration of the EU and Israeli markets," the European Commission said.
Marshall: Limit EPA to trading of goods
30-Apr-2008
For the moment, Caribbean countries should limit signing of the full Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe in the trade of goods section.
European Union prods RP on drafting PCA
30-Apr-2008 Yehey
The European Union has urged the Philippines to start negotiations for the partnership cooperation agreement, a prerequisite deal for Manila to qualify in the comprehensive free-trade agreement between the EU and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
SADC needs EU - Gurirab
30-Apr-2008
The Southern African Development Community countries need assistance and cooperation from the European Union to overcome development challenges in the spirit of partnership, said Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, at the first regional ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in the southern African region.
Round three of negotiations between the European Union and the Andean Community
30-Apr-2008 Upside Down World
The third round of negotiations for an association agreement between the European Union and the Andean Community (CAN), which took place between April 21st and 25th in Quito, began with a discussion of the asymmetries that exist between the two regions.
EC rejects view CARIFORUM forced into EPA
29-Apr-2008
The European Commission (EC) has flatly rejected as unfounded, suggestions that the CARIFORUM Group - Caribbean Community (Caricom) states and the Dominican Republic - was forced into the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) reached last December and that the negotiations were designed to split the ACP Group.
EU ponders next move on trade deals
28-Apr-2008
The European Union is contemplating the way forward following the reluctance of the majority of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to sign the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) they have been negotiating, five months after the expiry of the December 31 deadline set by the World Trade Organisation.
EU waiting for India’s submission of list on FTA
28-Apr-2008
The European Union is waiting for India to submit the list of items that will be covered under the proposed Free Trade Agreement between the two trading partners, a EU official said today.
WTO can’t adjudicate on EPA’s - Lamy
26-Apr-2008
Director-General of the World Trade Organisation has said that the world trading body would not legislate on the current bilateral free trade negotiations between the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries and the European Commission.
Africa leaders must unite against EPA agreements
25-Apr-2008 Statesman
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry of South Africa, Rob Davies, has called on African leaders to ignore the Economic Partnership Agreement proposed by the European Commission since the continent is presently not ready for it.
Little progress in EU-Central America FTA talks
25-Apr-2008 ICTSD
A third round of free trade agreement negotiations between the European Union and Central America concluded last week with little progress on the thorniest issues, though officials said that they better understood each other’s interests and positions,
Conflicting views over EPAs in French government
24-Apr-2008
As it prepares to assume the presidency of the European Union in July one of the main issues on France’s agenda will be the economic partnership agreements (EPAs). But with less than three months to go, France’s official position concerning EPAs is still surprisingly unclear.
EU hails EAC over trade deals
23-Apr-2008
The European Union has commended the East African Community for striking "a good deal,"following the initialling of an interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) at the end of last year.
Overhauling free trade deals a must: Report
22-Apr-2008
The EU will do irrevocable damage to the development prospects of some of the smallest and poorest countries in the world unless it overhauls free trade deals due to be finalised this year, Oxfam said in a report yesterday.
EPA - could have dire consequences
21-Apr-2008 Jamaica Observer
Anyone could be forgiven for wanting to fall asleep whenever the new Economic Partnership Agreement between Europe and the Caribbean comes into the conversation. The language is so complex and dry that only professional diplomats can understand it. (And even some of them are pretending). But the Caribbean needs to pay attention, because the economic consequences of this new agreement are heading towards it like an express train with potentially catastrophic consequences.