Don’t sign EPAs - COSATU urges Namibia
Don’t sign EPAs - COSATU urges Namibia
Written by Toivo Ndjebela
Thursday, 07 May 2009
THE Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has urged Namibia to follow South Africa and Angola’s footsteps in refusing to sign the much-debated Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU), alleging that the purported agreement has a ‘hidden’ agenda.
COSATU’s advice and mobilisation to snub the “anti-developmental and imperialist” deal, comes when the deadline for signing has been set for today in Brussels, Belgium.
Although the Namibian Government has not made any indications whether they would sign the EPA or not, it has previously argued that signing EPA in its current form would not be good for the country.
“COSATU also urges Namibia, which is wavering, to follow their (Angola and South Africa’s) lead and refuse to sign,” the federation further said.
While congratulating South Africa and Angola for refusing to sign the agreement, COSATU has, however, accused Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique describing them as having given in “to pressure from the EU and signed an agreement that is totally against the interests of the people of these poverty-ridden countries”.
The rejection of the EPA by South Africa and Angola serves a major blow to the architects of the deal since both countries have commanding economies in the region.
The purpose of the EPA is purportedly to create a legal framework for trade relations between SADC countries and the EU because of the expiry of the Cotonou Agreement preferences in 2007.
The Cotonou Agreement previously gave members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific states preferential trade arrangements with the EU, which later was found to be in contravention of the provisions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), because it gave special tariff preferences to such countries and not to all WTO members.
“However, the hidden purpose of the (EPA) Agreement is to open SADC markets to foreign competition whist the SADC countries, including South Africa, are not ready to compete on an equal basis with foreign industries. The main purpose is to capture the SADC market for narrow European interests,” COSATU alleged in a statement last week.
Angola, Namibia and South Africa’s appeal for more time to reflect on the interim EPA because of a range of contentious issues was not granted by the EU in January.
Namibia is a signatory to the interim EPA while Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique have signed the full EPA.
Angola participated in the negotiations with an eye on future participation.
South Africa that has an existing deal with the EU called the Trade Development and Co-operation Agreement (TDCA) valid until 2012, never attended the negotiations.
Namibian critics have, however, slammed Government for refusing to sign the deal, saying agricultural sectors such as beef and grapes will lose millions if ties with the EU are cut.
Government, on the other hand, has argued that besides looking beyond just short-term benefits which the current EPA does not offer and if signed in its current form, the agreement will have negative effects on the economic future of the country. -ToivoN@tgi.na
