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EPAs

Ghana joins rush to secure EU trade
13-Dec-2007 The Guardian
Ghana signed an interim trade deal with the European Union on Thursday, joining a rush among poor countries to safeguard exports to the world’s biggest trading bloc after preferential terms expire at the end of the year.
S. Africa says "serious issues" remain in EU talks
13-Dec-2007 Reuters
South Africa said on Wednesday that "serious issues" needed to be addressed in African nations’ trade talks with the European Union, but it did not rule out the possibility of reaching a comprehensive deal.
EU approves free market access for products from 15 ACP countries
11-Dec-2007 Forbes
The EU foreign ministers today adopted a ruling which will allow virtually free access to their markets with effect from Jan 1, 2008 to products from 15 African, Caribbean and Pacific member countries which reached an interim trade agreement with the EU. However, twenty-seven ACP member nations, including 14 in the Caribbean, risk having an increase imposed on their customs tariffs from Jan 1.
Africa leaders reject EU trade deal
10-Dec-2007 Al Jazeera
Abdoulaye Wade, Senegal’s president, said at the closing of the Africa-Europe Summit: "It was said several times during the plenary session and it was said again this morning: African states reject the EPAs."
Ivory Coast initials interim trade deal with EU
10-Dec-2007 Reuters
Ivory Coast inked an interim trade accord with the European Union on Friday as the bloc pushes for deals with as many former European colonies as possible before preferential trade terms expire on December 31. The top cocoa producer is the first West African country to sign a bilateral deal, breaking ranks with the region’s ECOWAS economic community.
Namibia: EPA pain in the butt
10-Dec-2007 AllAfrica.com
Government’s refusal to sign the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) has thrown a challenge to the private sector, which had put too much trust on the Cotonou Agreement by regarding European markets as the only export destination.
EU should not pressure developing countries over trade agreements says WCC leader
10-Dec-2007 Ekklesia
World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev Dr Samuel Kobia has told European Commissioner Peter Mandelson that the coercive approach adopted by the EU poisons the negotiating atmosphere and that the interim agreements are not consistent with development, poverty eradication and rights to food.
Mary Robinson concerned about EU approach to EPAs
9-Dec-2007 IPS
A recent study by Realizing Rights, an ‘‘ethical globalisation’’ body set up by the former UN commissioner for human rights and former Irish president Mary Robinson, forecasts that an EPA could harm Ghana’s development prospects by narrowing its scope to create more and better-paid jobs.
CARICOM leaders again negotiate with EU
7-Dec-2007 Prensa Latina
The complexity of the negotiations of an Accord of Economic Association with the European Union will mobilize the Heads of State of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Friday, for the third time in the last two months.
EU-SADC interim FTA (2007)
7-Dec-2007
Initialled by Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique on 23 November 2007
EU-Pacific interim FTA (2007)
7-Dec-2007
Initialled by Papua New Guinea and Fiji on 23 November 2007
EU-EAC interim FTA (2007)
7-Dec-2007
Initialled by the East African Community (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi) on 27 November 2007
EU-ESA interim FTA (2007)
7-Dec-2007
Initialled by Zimbabwe and the Seychelles on 28 November 2007 and by Mauritius on 5 December 2007
Nigeria: CSOs seek to halt EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreement
6-Dec-2007 AllAfrica.com
A coalition of civil society organisations in Nigeria have called on the Federal Government and other members of the West Africa region to refrain from agreeing with the European Commission on the Economic Partnership Agreements in their current state
Cameroon’s Biya supports partial signature of EPAs
5-Dec-2007
Cameroonian President Paul Biya says he is in favour of the signing of partial Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and the Central African Region.
Senegal opposes EPA
5-Dec-2007 afrol News
Senegal has joined Africa’s economic tigers [South Africa and Nigeria] to openly declare its refusal to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPAs) with the European Union.
East Africa: EPA signed to ’’protect’’ small farmers
1-Dec-2007 IPS
The East African Community signed a framework agreement with the European Union to ensure continued access to EU markets for African small farmers, says Juma Mwapachu, secretary general of the East African regional body.
Solomons agrees to negotiate interim agreement
1-Dec-2007 Solomon Times
Solomon Islands will not sign an interim Agreement if Pacific-ACP countries fail to complete negotiations of the European Partnership Agreement by the end of December. "We should not be rushed or influenced by either regional solidarity or integration to sign any agreement that may prove disadvantageous to our development," Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Patteson Oti stated.
Sierra Leone to press ahead with EU trade deal
1-Dec-2007 AFP
Sierra Leone will press ahead to sign accords to liberalise trade with the European Union that have been heavily criticised by anti-poverty lobby groups, a minister said on Friday.
SADC, EU reach agreement on EPA
28-Nov-2007
Southern African Development Community (SADC) and European Union (EU) negotiators have concluded the first phase of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).