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Successful negotiations between Libya and EU
8-Dec-2008 MEP
According to Mr. Hugues Mingarelli, officer in charge of the European Commission’s external relations, negotiations between the European Union and Libya in regards to an economic partnership agreement have “got off to a good start”.
Ecuador: Correa comes in for criticism from the Left
8-Dec-2008 IPS
Ecuador’s president has ruled out a separate free trade agreement with the European Union, outside of the Andean Community trade bloc, as Peru and Colombia are seeking. However, negotiators at the Foreign Ministry say that if it is necessary to seek a free trade deal separately from the rest of the bloc, they will do so.
Europe: What trade can have to do with trade unions
8-Dec-2008 IPS
The European Union has decided to push ahead with plans to secure a free trade agreement with Colombia despite the widespread abuse of labour rights in that country.
Advancing continental, regional, and global trade
8-Dec-2008
Under the guise of free trade, access to strategic territory and natural resources is being achieved, and Canadian trade deals could be used to further promote U.S interests around the globe.
SA refusal to sign EPA ‘damaging’
4-Dec-2008
A trade analyst says SA’s objections to an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) were “smoke and mirrors”, and that SA’s stance was damaging to the region.
Asean To Sign Agreement On Commitment For CEPT-AFTA
4-Dec-2008
A new agreement to further strengthen the Common Effective Preferential Tariff-Asean Free Trade Area Agreement 1992 or CEPT-AFTA, has been drawn up and is expected to be signed at the 14th Asean Summit in Thailand.
Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement Signed
4-Dec-2008
Not a government to fail to live up to its reactionary commitments, the Tories signed Canada’s free trade agreement with Colombia on November 21st. The signing is the culmination of the Tory government’s aggressive campaign to reach a trade deal with the human-rights troubled Andean country. Prime Minister Harper first announced his government’s intention to get a deal with Colombia during his state visit there in July, 2007. Sixteen months and three high-level cabinet-minister visits later, and voila!, mission accomplished.
India-Asean FTA misses deadline for the third time
4-Dec-2008 Hindu Business Line
The “indefinite” postponement of the 14th Asean Summit in Thailand, following the sacking of the Prime Minister of Thailand, Mr Somchai Wongsawat, by the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, has led to the deferment of the signing of the India-Asean free trade agreement scheduled for the third week of this month.
Kingdom, US forge science and technology cooperation
4-Dec-2008 Arab News
Saudi Arabia and the United States yesterday signed an agreement for cooperation in science and technology. The agreement formalizes a decades-long, low-key relationship between the two countries involving numerous US technical agencies, academic institutions and private business.
MAC chairwoman says Taiwan should not sign CEPA with China
3-Dec-2008
Taiwan and China should not be signing a Closer Economic Partnership Agreement such as the one between Beijing and Hong Kong, Mainland Affairs Council chairwoman Lai Shin-yuan said yesterday.
Urgent action needed: EU Parliament to vote on EU-Israel Association Agreement
3-Dec-2008 Stop The Wall
The European Parliament (EP) has recently announced that a vote will be held on December 4 to enter into force the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which will enable far greater Israeli participation in European Community programs. It is urgent that all civil society organizations, and especially those in Europe, take action against the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
Pooling of Resources Critical to Resolving SADC Energy Shortages
2-Dec-2008
Regional stakeholders in the energy industry meeting in Tanzania have called for cooperation, integration and pooling of resources in the energy sector as the only way of dealing with energy shortages in southern Africa.
"Don’t Sign EPAs"
2-Dec-2008
Trade sector advocacy bodies such as the Ghana Trade Livelihood Coalition and Actionaid Ghana as well as some civil society groups have renewed their call on government not to sign the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union.
Tradeoff
2-Dec-2008
Global euphoria over the election of Barack Obama as US President George Bush’s successor has been tempered somewhat by the realisation that the Democrats have not historically been overly keen on free trade.
Plan for big-bang FTAs bites dust
2-Dec-2008
Even as uncertainty prevails over the WTO’s Doha Round negotiations with countries hardening their stance against opening up their markets due to the financial crisis and demand slowdown, India’s plan to boost its global trade ties with a slew of free trade agreements (FTA) is losing momentum, either due to major differences or political volatility.
Syria-EU ties set for revival before Christmas holidays
2-Dec-2008
Syrian and European officials are expecting to initial a second phase of the Syrian-EU Partnership Agreement, which has been on-hold due to political tension since 2004, before the Christmas holidays.
Knowing Your Trade Blocs From Your Trade Blocks
2-Dec-2008
On a daily basis we are exposed to a myriad of acronyms. A large number of these refer to some form of regional economic integration such as CMA, COMESA, FTA, IDZ, SACU and SADC, to name a few.
Costa Rica-S’pore FTA talks
2-Dec-2008
Costa Rica and Singapore on Tuesday announced their intent to start talks on a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Proposed India-EU FTA draws flak
2-Dec-2008 Financial Express
A group of Indian trade unionists, farmers, fishworkers and intelligentsia have criticised the secret negotiation which are underway between India and the European Union to strike a free trade agreement (FTA). They have demanded a halt to the ongoing negotiations till transparency is achieved in the process.
Be suspicious of India-EU pact
2-Dec-2008 Economic Times
There is an outcry over the proposed India-EU free trade agreement, the contents of which are being ‘secretly’ negotiated by the two governments. Last week, an outfit called Forum on FTAs—a coalition of over 75 organisations including trade unions, farmer and fishermen groups and other civil society organisations—demanded that the talks be halted immediately.