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Pacific Islands / Pacific Forum

China elbowing US out of Pacific tuna trade
21-Sep-2015 Nikkei Asian Review
A political battle is brewing in the Pacific over tuna as rising competition from Chinese vessels sours long-standing fishing arrangements between the US and Pacific island nations.
Pacific leaders want EPA negotiations to resume
20-Sep-2015
Explore all options is the instructions Pacific leaders have told officials who are negotiating an economic partnership agreement with the European Union.
Peru moves forward with trade agreements agenda
20-Aug-2015 Andina
Peru is making progress in implementing the agenda of new trade agreements
Pacific Ministers call for EU’s commitment to the EPA
20-Jul-2015 Pacific Forum
The Ministers highlighted that the interim EPA in its current form is not the preferable option for most parties as it has no development benefits
Joint ACP-EU meeting ends
18-Jun-2015 Fiji Times
The ACP Parliamentary Assembly called for a joint Pacific European Commission Ministerial meeting to address the remaining contentious issues and to work constructively to conclude a development friendly comprehensive EPA by December 31, 2015.
ACP calls EU’s EPA deferral unacceptable
16-Jun-2015 Radio New Zealand
The organisation of African, Carribean and Pacific countries says the European Union’s decision to defer negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement with the Pacific states is unacceptable.
Pacific Civil Society Swings Out Against Free Trade Agreement
4-Jun-2015
Fourteen Pacific Island Forum countries are currently locked in negotiations with their two largest economic neighbours, Australia and New Zealand, to forge a new regional free trade agreement called ‘PACER Plus’, which supporters believe will boost economic growth in the region.
EU committment to Pacific trade despite EPA stall
25-May-2015 Radio New Zealand
The European Union’s ambassador to the Pacific says the EU is still committed to trade relations with the Pacific, despite stalled negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement.
Pacific: EU proposes to stop EPA negotiations for 3 years
12-May-2015 Fiji Broadcasting Corporation
The European Union have proposed a 3 year pause in negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement, according to Fiji media.
EPA is no more
17-Oct-2013 PANG
In a surprise move this week, the European Union has moved to suspend negotiations for a new economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the islands of the Pacific, ISLANDS BUSINESS has been told.
EU reported to have called off Pacific negotiations on EPA
17-Oct-2013 Radio New Zealand International
The Solomon Islands government says the European Union has suspended negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement between 14 Pacific Island Countries and the EU - 9 years after its EPA was launched in September, 2004.
US Pacific Island Country trade and development agreement being explored
6-Sep-2013 CTA
In July 2013, Pacific Island Country Trade Ministers called on the Pacific Forum Secretariat to give priority to trade and economic cooperation discussions with the United States.
Why ’free trade’ hits Pacific people (PMC)
1-Sep-2013 AUT
For Gary Juffa — the Governor of Papua New Guinea’s Oro province and one of the region’s most outspoken critics of free trade — neoliberalism is a hard pill to swallow.
Europe hits back in war of words with the Pacific over trade
18-Jun-2013 Radio Australia
Plans for a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement are in jeopardy after the Pacific Island nations accused Europe of failing to respond to their requests and threatened to pull-out if Europe is unable to meet their deadline of the end of this year.
EU reveals its EPA ‘cards’
14-Jun-2013 Islands Business
When Pacific trade negotiators sit down later this month with their European Commission counterparts to carve out the finer details of their Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the pressure points would be fishery, market access and services.
Rejecting free trade requires new forms of regionalism
13-Jun-2013 Islands Business
Papua New Guinea’s trade Minister, Richard Maru, recently set a cat amongst the pigeons by saying that PNG was not interested in the regional trade negotiations known as PACER-Plus. “We can’t export our taro there, they won’t accept our greens...There’s nothing to be gained from a trade agreement at the moment. ‘We cannot justify the huge amount of resources we expend on such negotiations. They are a complete waste of time.”
Pacific-EU trade relations on a knife edge
13-Jun-2013 ABC
Pacific trade ministers have still had no reply to their threat to pull out of long-running negotiations with Europe for an Economic Partnership Agreement.
Pacific countries urged to weigh up EPAs
20-Feb-2013
Pacific nations involved in negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union are being warned that while it’s important negotiations are soon concluded, it’s more important to get the right outcome.
Pacific leaders urged to wrap up talks on trade deal
29-Aug-2012
Pacific members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) were urged Tuesday to wrap up talks on a trade deal with the European Union this year.
Meeting vital to meet minsters deadline
24-Aug-2012
Pacific-African, Caribbean and Pacific (PACP) trade officials and ministers met in Nuku’alofa, Tonga earlier this month to discuss key issues, which included the Management of PACP Group, Fiji’s participation in the PACP and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations with the EU.