Africa: Church leaders’ statement on Economic Partnership Agreements
Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi) | 5 November 2007
Africa - Church Leaders’ Statement On Economic Partnership Agreements
Full text of a statement issued recently by Church leaders concerned about new trade agreements being negotiated between Europe and developing countries:
Preamble
We the East African Church Leaders meet in Nairobi from 30th - 31st October 2007 to deliberate on the status of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) negotiations and their implications on people’s socio-economic interests and livelihoods.
As stewards and shepherds of the East African Christian congregation which accounts for many of the East African population, we reiterate that EPAs processes and outcomes should facilitate sustainable human development, regional integration and economic growth in the East African sub-region.
We are aware that our countries together with other countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) groupings are negotiating the so-called Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union (EU) to replace the current non-reciprocal trade arrangements.
We are also aware that through EPAs the European Union (EU) is seeking to establish Free Trade Areas with the Africa, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) regions. And by so doing, this will fundamentally alter the way of trading between the parties to the detriment of the small farmers and producers of the regions of the South. While the EU is one of the most developed regions in the world, ACP regions are the least developed countries. Consequently, future trade between the EU and ACP under the EPAs arrangement will be more unequal than before. The ACP states will definitely lose out in trading under EPAs.
We are further aware that the EPAs negotiations are to be concluded and signed by 31st December 2007 and be in force in January 2008. Our East African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda), considered as developing and least developed countries, are not ready to sign the EPAs contrary to the assertions by our respective government officials.
Noting that EPAs negotiation processes both at national and regional levels have not adequately and effectively been as inclusive as expected, we urge governments to demand that the proposals already on the table be opened to public debate and scrutiny before they are considered for signing. Regional and national long term development priorities and interests should inform the positions and proposals made by the negotiators.
We are concerned that EPAs if signed will:
– Endanger the livelihoods of the small-scale farmers and producers in the East African region.
– Undermine the efforts of the East African countries to attain food security and sovereignty.
– Reduce governments’ revenue through the reduction and/or removal of tariffs on imports from EU.
– Take away the governments’ sovereignty to use policy decisions to leverage the negative impacts of trade liberalization.
– Undermine the industrialisation efforts and consolidation of the East African regional markets.
– Deepen the[negative] effects of the Structural Adjustment Programmes, among others: poverty, food insecurity, unemployment, and insecurity.
We therefore call for:
The extension of the December 31st deadline in order to address the aforementioned issues and concerns in the agreement.
The accountability of the Ministers for Trade and Industry, as the chief government negotiators, to their respective Parliaments and citizens to ensure that EPAs are well negotiated as an instrument of development and not of exploitation.
A review of the laws and policies relating to the ratification of all treaties, making it mandatory for national parliaments to ratify all treaties.
Respective governments and non state actors to organize sensitisation dialogues where merits and demerits of the EPAs are discussed.
The scrutiny of the EPAs proposals to ensure that national development policies and priorities have been taken on board.
Our governments and the European Union to consider alternatives to EPAs as indicated in the Cotonou Partnership Agreement. Such alternatives should not be oppressive, but instead be fair and just [so to] serve the people.
Stated by Church Leaders from:
All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC)
Association of Members Episcopal Conferences in East Africa (AMECEA)
Building Eastern Africa Community Network (BEACON)
Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT)
Missionaries of Africa
Norwegian Church Aid
National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK)
Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC)
Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC)
