Civil Society Vows to Stop EPA
The Monitor, Kampala
Civil Society Vows to Stop EPA
28 March 2008
By Joseph Olanyo, Kampala
As the recently initialled interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) continues to take centre stage, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Africa have vowed to step up their stop-EPA campaign saying the pact has contentious issues.
CSO’s converging in Kampala for a three-day eastern and southern Africa regional forum said on March 26 they are concerned about some clauses in the agreement, which they contend are not developmental and should be rolled back.
They cited among others clauses, which call for free trade opening, non application of export taxes and the provision that once you sign an agreement it can’t be open for negotiations.
"How can you sign an agreement that you can’t bring forward for review?" asked Mr John Ochola, a programme officer with ECONEWS Africa.The EPAs, which are now being negotiated, are essentially free trade agreements between the EU on the other hand and six regional groupings of the Africa Caribbean Pacific (ACP) countries.
Ms Christabel Phiri Programmes Officer Africa Third World Network said the EPA should be a non reciprocal trade arrangement, which does not involve full opening up of markets to the already developed world.
"The EU can open and we remain closed because they are more competitive," Ms Phiri said. "When you remove duties, where can governments get revenues for subsidising their healthcare and education sectors?" she asked.
On November 27, 2007, Uganda and her East African Community (EAC) counterparts signed interim EPAs with the EU. According to the agreement, ACP countries like Uganda would be allowed to sell their goods free of duties or quotas to the EU from this year. Sugar and rice would be the only exceptional.
Southern and Eastern African Trade, Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) executive director Ambassador Nathan Irumba said the initialled agreements, while promising non disruption of trade, put EAC countries on a slippery road towards accepting a hard-to-reverse rules.
While addressing the EU-Africa summit in Lisbon, Senegalese President Abdoulaye wade said: "The alternate system proposed by the European Union to replace EPA is unacceptable."
The participants said the objective of the forum is to enhance a common understanding and commitment of CSOs across the East and Southern Africa region in the fight for poverty alleviation and fair trade system in Africa.
