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Pacific Islands / Pacific Forum


Call to accelerate regional integration
The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat secretary general, Tuiloma Neroni Slade wants the region to intensify and accelerate its efforts towards regional integration.
Pacific region urges EC engagement for EPA progress
The Pacific bloc of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) grouping has urged the European Commission (EC) to officially respond to its proposals on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU).
ACP calls for understanding from Europe
Spirited calls from Parliamentary Members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) have appealed for flexibility, empathy and "practical reason" from European authorities, regarding stalled free trade negotiations with their regions, an ACP statement said.
EU wants EPA concluded. But is the Pacific ready?
Ten years of negotiations with the European Union for an economic partnership agreement and the Pacific members of the ACP group still haven’t got a permanent deal.
US, Pacific Islands hold next round of fishing negotiations
The Pacific Islands Parties and the US are trying to reach a successor fish agreement following the US’s rejection of the Pacific’s proposal. Island nations are also seeking to solidify a regional strategy on fisheries for EPA negotiations with the European Union.
Pacific ACP Group to conclude comprehensive EPAs with the EU
Following the 94th ACP Council of Ministers held December 2011 in Brussels, the Pacific region is committed to continue negotiating a comprehensive EPA as a single region. Negotiations will be concluded in 2012, as mandated by Pacific ACP Leaders in September 2011.
ACP, LDC sugar suppliers deplore EC’s CAP proposals
The ACP and LDC cane sugar suppliers express their profound concern and dismay at the Commission’s proposals in respect of the elimination of sugar quotas in the context of the CAP reform announced on 12 October 2011.
Fisheries remains key to Pacific trade negotiations
The Pacific ACP Trade Ministers, at their meeting in February 2011, agreed to continue negotiations of a comprehensive EPA with the EU as a single region with a view to concluding negotiations by the end of 2011. Fisheries is one of the key contentious issues for the Pacific region, and must be dealt with.
The future of ACP, Europe relations
ACP–EU relations have been in existence for quite a while but what great gains has it achieved, for at least one of its small islands member in the Pacific, Palau, asks its former Vice President, Sandra Pierantozzi.
A-G questions agreement merits
Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has questioned the merits of trade agreements that serve to benefit the economically powerful more than developing economies.
PACER Plus ineffective without Fiji: AG
Any regional economic agreement that excludes Fiji will be an ineffective instrument for trade and development says Trade Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.
Pacific ACP ready to sign EPA by year end
Pacific ACP countries have again reiterated their commitments to conclude negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) by the end of the year.
Interim EPAs better for island countries
A comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union may not be possible for the region, Papua New Guinea believes.
Work intensifies in preparation for EPA negotiations
“On the international stage, ACP-EU Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations have reached a stalemate in all regions except for the Caribbean,” said the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
PACER-Plus: Why we need to get it right
“PACER-Plus is the most important economic negotiation that Forum Islands nations will undertake this decade, so you need to get it right.” So says Dr Chris Noonan, Chief Trade Advisor to Forum Islands Countries for the PACER-Plus free trade negotiations.
Moratorium needed on Pacific trade talks, warn Pacific Civil Society Organisations
Civil society groups from the Pacific including churches, trade unions, gender groups, indigenous rights groups and advocacy groups launched a statement calling for a moratorium on negotiations for a new Pacific-wide free trade agreement known as PACER-Plus.
Pacific Islands Trade: A year’s worth of bad outcomes
Despite being launched only a year ago by Pacific leaders, the negotiations on the Pacific trade agreement known as PACER-Plus are slipping away from the Islands.
Nauru leads the charge on EPAs
The stalled negotiations on the EU-inspired Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the Forum Island Countries finally resumed in Brussels.
Fiji will pull out from trade agreements
Fiji’s Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama says Fiji will pull out of the Trade Agreement negotiations.