EPAs: the state of play

CARIFORUM Sept 2 signing of EPA is off

The latest news from the Caribbean is that the September 2 signing ceremony is off!! Ministers will be meeting in Barbados on September 8th to discuss the differing views on the EPA. By the 8th, the national consultations on the EPA in Guyana slated for Sept 5th & 6th are supposedly concluded.

Apparently Baldwin Spencer - the PM of Antigua and Barbuda and Chairman of Caricom - sent a letter to the French President indicating that the Caribbean was interested in having dialogue around concerns and around renegotiation.

The response from the French, not from the President himself but from the trade department, allegedly indicated that they would not support a renegotiation of the text .

Apparently, the tide has changed so much that countries and persons who had previously indicated that the signing of the Caribbean EPA was a done deal where now looking for opportunities to save face and back out .

Region advisor: EPA could benefit farmers

Atkins was addressing a four-day CaFAN workshop on agricultural trade facilitation at the Blue Horizon Hotel, Rockley, Christ Church, started on Monday.

"Are there areas that we do not feel comfortable with? Of course! Are there areas which the EU are not comfortable with? Yes! But if you think not signing the EPA is better for us, you are fooling yourself because the great WTO forced us and we are committed to the rules," he said.

Link @ http://www.nationnews.com/story/298671348499194.php

Delay can be costly

There is simply too much dithering and time wasting in this region, waiting on the improbability that perfect situations will come our way. This apparent yearning for Utopia raises the strong likelihood that the Caribbean could be left far behind while others grasp the opportunity to benefit, regardless of any structural imperfections that may exist in bilateral or multilateral trade arrangements.

Link @ http://www.nationnews.com/editorial/293072099820346.php

SA to revisit economic agreements with EU

South Africa and the European Union (EU) are expected to revisit the economic partnership agreements (EPAs) as President Thabo Mbeki heads to France for the SA-EU Summit.

"Issues on the agenda of discussions are expected to include, among others, Southern African Development Community [SADC]-EU economic partnership agreements," said the Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.

The summit is taking place in the context of ongoing political dialogue under the auspices of the SA-EU Strategic Partnership and the SA-EU Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement (TDCA).

It will be the first regular summit since the establishment of the partnership in May 2007, and is a continuation of discussions took place during six SA-EU Ministerial Troika meetings since November 2004.

EPAs are agreements entered into by each African country, committing to certain trade agreements with the EU, in an effort to create free trade

areas (FTAs).

While many African countries signed EPAs with the EU at the last African-EU Summit in December 2007, in Portugal, South Africa felt the trade agreements favoured Europe instead of it being a mutually beneficial to both.

Speaking at a recent briefing, Trade and Industry Minister Mandisi Mpahlwa said South Africa has not yet signed an EPA because it was not conducive to SADC integration.

South Africa is likely to seek greater access to European markets while seeking some type of protection for domestic markets.

The minister argued that EPAs were not in line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) standards and therefore needed to be reworked as to benefit both parties.

Speaking in December last year, Mpahlwa highlighted that EPAs had already created a division within the SADC membership as some members had opted to negotiate the EPA as part of another grouping, the Eastern and Southern African (ESA) Group.

"We had hoped that, by forging a unified regional approach among the SADC EPA States to the negotiations with an important trade partner, we would strengthen trade relations within the region as well as the region's trade relations with the EU," he said.

The SADC EPA States had originally agreed that least developed countries (LDCs) should not be required to offer reciprocal opening of their markets to the EU.

"However, LDCs are now required to open up 80 percent of their market to EU exports," said the Minister.

Other issues on the agenda at the summit include environmental and climate change challenges, migration, food security, the WTO Doha Development Round of talks, and Africa and global security issues.

Link @ http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=138920

EU and Central Africa hold EPA technical negotiation round: news about services

From 9-17 July 2008 EU and Central African region's chief negotiators held technical EPA negotiation meetings in Brazzaville. The regional negotiator for Central Africa is CEMAC / CEEAC (Communauté Économique et Monétaire de l'Afrique Centrale / Communauté Economique Des Etats De L'Afrique Centrale) including Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Chad, Central African Republic, São Tomé e Príncipe. The EU and the Central Africa representatives discussed market access for goods, with, as a basis, the proposal by Central Africa to liberalise 71% of European imports over 20 years.

The parties made noticeable progress towards a joint draft text on market access for goods. Services were also discussed, as well as accompanying measures. Negotiators made progress towards the establishment of the "FORAPE" (EPA regional fund), and they discussed the reform of the Development Bank of Central African States (BDEAC) which will operate the FORAPE. Next negotiation round is scheduled from 29/09 to 07/10 in Brussels. It will be followed by a round from 27/10 to 01/11 in Central Africa and, if possible, by a ministerial meeting in November.

Link @ http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/bilateral/regions/acp/index_en.htm

ECOWAS favours a sub-regional EPA with Europe

The Heads of State and Government of the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have expressed their support for an «effective and sustainable» sub-regional Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union.

Link @ http://brussels.cta.int/?id=4908

Technical Epa negotiation meetings with West Africa take place in Brussels, 28-31 july 2008

Negotiators from the EU and West African region met in Brussels from 28-31 July 2008 to discuss progress towards concluding a full-fledged EPA. Regional Negotiator for West Africa is CEDEAO / ECOWAS (Communauté Economique des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest / Economic Community of West African States) in co-operation with UEMOA (Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine): these include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Negotiators achieved progress on trade in goods, in particular trade defence instruments (TDI), sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT), as well as trade facilitation (TF). Discussions on rules of origin were also launched. Market access and development co-operation were also on the table. Next round will take place in Ouagadougou at technical level on 20-23 October and at senior official level on 24 October.

EPA: Aligning gender sensitivity with mainstream trade policy

The President of TNI, Mrs. Hauwa Mustapha, stated that “Gender issues are conspicuously absent from the current EPA negotiation. There is no systemic screening for social and gender impacts or compliance with international agreements such as the CEDAW. [..],” she added.

More importantly, there is need to slow down EU‘s pressure so that more balanced negotiations could be achieved. On the extreme case, some participants were of the opinion that it would be dangerous to go negotiating with EU in unequal partner basis, hence EPA should be scrapped. ”What percentage of our products was involved? Not up to 10 per cent. I suggest Nigeria should absolutely turn its back on EPA, like Cuba did. If EU has concern for Africa, it should fund development programmes and encourage economic growth.”

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art200808035271789