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East Africa: Officials confused about pros and cons of EPA
20-Nov-2007 IPS
The news that the ministers of the East African Community (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi) are on the verge of signing an economic partnership agreement with the European Union has been received with mixed reactions by government officials from these very same countries.
CSOs: Kenya bullied into signing treaty
20-Nov-2007 KBC
Civil Society Organizations now say that the East and Southern African negotiators and civil servants who attended the Economic Partnership Agreements meeting in Brussels, Belgium were bullied into a midnight deal with the European Union.
S. Korea seeks breakthrough in free trade talks with EU
20-Nov-2007 Hankyoreh
South Korea’s chief negotiator in free trade talks with the European Union (EU) said on Monday that Seoul will redouble its efforts to make a breakthrough on some sticky issues, including a dispute over auto trade, and called for an "equal" effort from Brussels.
EPA - Reasons why Nigeria is a sitting ’elephant’
19-Nov-2007 AllAfrica.com
The European Union Commissioner for Trade, Mr. Peter Mandelson was quoted recently as saying that Nigeria is "sitting like an elephant in the middle of the road."
Kenya is exempted from ACP-EU treaty
17-Nov-2007 KBC
Kenya has been exempted from signing the Economic Partnership Agreement for another year. Economic analysts say the deal is good for Kenya in the short term but could become oppressive in the future.
EU makes interim trade deal with East Africa
17-Nov-2007 Forbes
The European Union has made an interim trade deal with east African countries, which will replace preferential tariff agreements which are due to expire this year, Kenya announced.
ACP group wins major trade battle with EU
17-Nov-2007 AllAfrica.com
The EU has agreed to establish a framework that will ensure trade is not interrupted between January and December next year, thus giving a one-year extension before a new pact has to be reached.
Call to change ’deadline’ on EPA deal with Europe
16-Nov-2007 Jamaica Observer
Leading Caribbean nationals have made a stirring plea to Caribbean Community Heads of Government to speedily move for postponement of the year-end deadline given by the European Union for this region to sign an Economic Partnership Agreement.
South Korea aims to retain agriculture tariffs at EU FTA talks
16-Nov-2007 Asia Pulse
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said that rice will be exempted from free trade agreement talks altogether, while Seoul will stress the need to hold onto some protection for grain, vegetables and fruits.
EU-ASEAN: The beginning of a beautiful friendship?
15-Nov-2007 Chatham House
At present, the economic relationship is asymmetrical, with the EU market much more important to ASEAN than the reverse. But in the long run, the size and growth of the ASEAN market will make it a key source of growth and profitability for EU firms.
Korea to sweeten offer at next EU FTA talks
15-Nov-2007 Chosun Ilbo
Korea plans to accept a number of the European Union’s demands for lifting tariffs on EU goods in the fifth round of the Korea-EU free trade agreement talks slated for Nov. 19 in Brussels
Korea seeks speedy free trade pact with EU
14-Nov-2007 Chosun Ilbo
Korea’s top negotiator to trade talks with the EU wants a deal to be concluded by year’s end.
Malaysia’s racial policies jeopardize trade deal, EU envoy says
14-Nov-2007 Bloomberg
Malaysia’s refusal to review its race-based policies is jeopardizing a proposed free-trade agreement between Southeast Asia and Europe, said the outgoing European envoy to Kuala Lumpur.
Everybody is pushing free trade on Africa
13-Nov-2007 AllAfrica.com
There is an old saying: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for life". Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are the equivalent of Europe telling the African fisherman that if he does not give them his fishing net (tariff flexibility) he will not be able to sell any more fish to them (fish exports). In return for the fishing net, Europe promises a European fish (aid) that the fisherman has to apply for and wait for over two years.
’Make accord with EU public’
12-Nov-2007 Trinidad & Tobago Express
As negotiations intensify for an Economic Partnership Agreement between the Caribbean and European Union before year end, there are now growing calls for the "draft" accord to be made public before the region’s governments sign on to such a deal.
Emerging uncertainty about Caribbean-EU business deals: As EPA negotiations drag on
11-Nov-2007 Jamaica Gleaner
A final make or break negotiating session is expected in the Caribbean at the end of November.
Response to the letter “This is not a poker game” by Messrs Peter Mandelson and Louis Michel in The Guardian of 31 October 2007
9-Nov-2007
You are right that this should not be a poker game. Maybe it’s time for reflection so you could realize who is actually playing poker with the livelihoods you are trying to help, writes Wallie Roux.
UAE still keen on Gulf-EU free trade agreement
9-Nov-2007 Gulf News
The delay in signing the EU-GCC FTA has resulted in a chain reaction as the European Union will now apply new standards in negotiating trade agreements, according to Sweden’s minister of "free" trade
The EU is trying to trick developing countries into poor trade deals
9-Nov-2007 The Guardian
The dirtiest trick is the spurious insistence on a December deadline. On top of this, the commission’s latest approach — that individual countries should sign up to EPAs without their weaker neighbours — reveals how shallow their commitment to ACP regional integration is.
Chaos on eve of EPA deadline
9-Nov-2007 AllAfrica.com
On the eve of the deadline of the finalisation of the economic partnership agreement (EPA) negotiations, chaos reigns.