EU has a hidden agenda in EPA, says expert
East African Business Week
EU has a hidden agenda in EPA, says expert
By Joseph Olanyo
29 November 2010
The European Union (EU) has a hidden agenda in its trade negotiations with East African Community (EAC), which is not open to Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), say policy expert.
Dr. Arndt Hopfmann, regional director for Africa at the Berlin-based Centre for International Dialogue and Cooperation, believes that there is some kind of collaboration between some African leaders, negotiators and the EU on the ongoing trade negations referred to as Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
"It is the responsibility of the people to know the details of the agreement, but we are not sure of the content and the exact details. The real wording of the text should be brought to peoples hands," Dr Hopfmann said during a regional workshop on positioning EAC regional integration in context of Economic partnership Agreements (EPA) organized by SEATINI Uganda last week from November 25-26.
He cited the some of the clauses in the agreement like the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clause, which he said will prevent the EAC from entering into mutual beneficial contracts with other countries like China, Brazil and other emerging nations.
"Some of the clauses are designed to prevent growing influence from China, Brazil and other emerging nations," said Hopfmann, an expert from Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, a German think-tank and one of the largest political education institutions in Germany committed to the mainstream ideology of democratic socialism.
SEATINI Uganda Country Director Jane Nalunga, said EPA should support the existing regional integration initiatives in the African Caribbean and pacific (ACP) countries and not to compromise them.
"EPA should first of all aid in consolidating the ACP/EAC markets before promoting commercial integration with the EU," Nalunga said.
With mixed reactions on whether to sign or not to sign an EPA, a cross sections of participants resolved that there was need to first strengthen the regional cooperation before signing EPA.
As the Africa-EU summit takes place in Tripoli from November 29-30, the future of EPA remains in balance three years since it was initialed.
The Head of the Political and Trade Section of the EU delegation in Uganda, Mr Harvey Rouse, contends that it is important that negotiations of the final EPA are brought to a successful conclusion as expeditiously as possible
Since 1 January 2010, ACP countries have been able to export all goods to the EU duty-free and quota-free.
EPAs entail commitments by both parties. Both the EU and ACP countries must open their markets to each other.
But the EU opens its market fully and upfront, whereas ACP countries can liberalise more gradually - over many years. And ACP countries can exclude products they consider sensitive, or protect infant industries.
EPAs are the most aggressive regional trade agreements (RTAs) ever witnessed in the history of the trade relations between the European Union, the world’s biggest economic bloc, and the world’s poorest countries found in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific islands.
