Printable version
L'Union économique et monétaire ouest africaine harmonise sa politique de négociations commerciales bilatérales et multilatérales. By Bachirou NANA
Moreover, the GSP+ status does not require the developing country to sign on to commitments in other areas such as services, intellectual property, investment, competition policy and government procurement.
Newsletter n.3 November 2008
EPAs: business as usual after the financial crisis?
The world economy is suffering a deep crisis. The financial meltdown of the most powerful banks and funds push former liberalist governments as European and USA ones to invest huge amount of money to revitalize their economies with public support and nationalization’s strategies.EPAs: where do we stand now?
Caribbean: Initialling of a full EPA with Cariforum on 16 December 2007 SADC: Initialling of an interim EPA with Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique on 23 November 2007 and with Namibia on 11 December 2007 Pacific: Initialling of an interim EPA with Papua New Guinea and Fiji on 29 November 2007 West Africa: Initialling of a stepping stone EPA with Ivory Coast on 7 December 2007 and with Ghana on 13 December 2007 ESA: Initialling of an interim trade agreement with the Seychelles and Zimbabwe on 28 November 2007, with Mauritius on 4 December 2007, with Comoros and Madagascar on 11 December 2007 EAC: Initialling of an interim EPA with EAC (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi) Central Africa: Initialling of an interim EPA with Cameroon on 17 December 2007Economic Crisis: World's Trade Unions Put Recovery and Reform Plan to G20
Trade union leaders from the G20 countries put forward a comprehensive plan to turn around the global economy, in meetings with world leaders in Washington DC on the eve of the financial crisis summit hosted by the US government on 15 November.Strong link between debt accumulation and trade, says UN Independent Expert
In a statement on the Financing for Development Process, the Independent Expert on Foreign Debt and Human rights, warned that "Measures to enhance the terms of trade for indebted countries, should be part and parcel of long-term debt sustainability.“A message to the global leaders: never again!
The past few months have seen one of the most significant financial crises in history. In recent weeks, world leaders have recognized the need to reform the global financial system and its institutions. More than 3400 NGOs and civil society organizations signed a joint statement to declare how they’re deeply concerned that the meetings will be carried out in a rushed and non-inclusive manner, and as a result, will neither address the comprehensive range of changes needed, nor fairly allocate their burden.TRADE-AFRICA: Red Faces Over EPAs Red Herring
Senior European Union officials have admitted being embarrassed at how the bloc’s own procedures are delaying them from signing economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with Africa. During 2007 the European Commission repeatedly insisted that it was necessary to conclude trade accords with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries by the end of that year. The reason stated for the deadline was that the preferential access granted to exports from those countries to the EU’s markets would no longer enjoy an exemption from rules set by the World Trade Organization (WTO) after that date. By David Cronin, IPSEU and East African Community (EAC) hold EPA technical talks in Bujumbura (15-17 September 2008)
The technical negotiating teams from the EU and EAC met on 15-17 September in Bujumbura (Burundi) to make progress in the European Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations, in accordance with the Joint EAC-EC Roadmap agreed on 6 March 2008.Solomon Islands Plea For Pacific Solidarity
Solomon Islands delegation head Robert Sisilo has pleaded for the Pacific Islands to stick together in the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations with the European Union (EU).Free trade warning
Pacific civil society has deep concerns about new free trade deal with Europe. Pacific Trade Ministers are meeting today in Nadi, Fiji, to discuss a free trade deal that will shape trading relations with the European Union for decades to come . trade ministers from across the region will be deciding on a way forward in negotiations for a new Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the EU. by Wesley MorganAfrican template for EPAs is endorsed - with recommendations
A continental workshop on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between European and African countries held at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, ended with the endorsement of proposals towards an African template for EPA negotiations. The discussion of the proposals, which were drafted by the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC), was one of the key agenda items at the workshop, under the theme "Reaping the benefits of the EPAs".Namibia remains steadfast on EPA concerns
The Namibian trade negotiating team has pinned its hopes on the newly appointed EU Trade Commissioner, Baroness Catherine Ashton, during the next round of talks next month to convince the European Commission (EC) to adapt the economic partnership agreements (EPAs) to accommodate Namibia's concerns. By Brigitte WeidlichGeingob rips into WTO-EU deals
TRADE and Industry Minister Hage Geingob says southern Africa's regional integration agenda is under fire by the forces of globalisation."This includes the international rules of the World Trade Organisation, which are being shaped more by the developed world to suit their own economic agenda," Geingob said in a speech read on his behalf by Freddie Goaseb, a senior ministerial official, at a heated public dialogue organised by the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and the Agricultural Trade Forum yesterday. Other diversions from regional integration were the fact that several free-trade area (FTA) negotiations between the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) and other partners such as the US were ongoing. By Brigitte WeidlichAfrique de l'Ouest: Uemoa, Une position commune sur l'accès aux marchés internationaux
Les ministres chargés du Commerce des Etats membres de l'Union économique et monétaire ouest africaine (UEMOA) se sont réunis, le 13 novembre 2008 à Ouagadougou, pour adopter une politique commune relative aux négociations commerciales bilatérales et multilatérales.L'Union économique et monétaire ouest africaine harmonise sa politique de négociations commerciales bilatérales et multilatérales. By Bachirou NANA
EU finance for boosting trade capacity in developing countries reaches almost €1billion in 2005-07
The review shows that the EU has spent almost a billion euros over this period funding capacity building, technical assistance and infrastructure projects in developing countries. The review shows that the EU has spent almost a billion euros over this period funding capacity building, technical assistance and infrastructure projects in developing countries.Trade Facilitation refers to the simplification of import, export and customs red tape, in order to cut time and costs for businessImminent deadline for GSP-Plus alternative to EPAs with the EU
Developing countries that are negotiating with the European Union for an economic partnership agreement or a free trade agreement could consider applying instead for "GSP-Plus" status with the EU. This is because the GSP+ status provides non-reciprocal preferences by the EU to a large part of the exports of the developing country, as contrasted to the non-reciprocal nature of the EPAs or FTAs with the EU.Moreover, the GSP+ status does not require the developing country to sign on to commitments in other areas such as services, intellectual property, investment, competition policy and government procurement.
A letter from three EU member states to the Commission asking for more flexibility
Denmark, Ireland and the Nederland wrote to the new EU Trade commissioner Baronesse Ashton asking her to help Commission “to show more flexibility towards the countries and regions concerned in the next rounds of negotiations”. “Judging by the vast majority of reactions received from the ACP over recent weeks and months – they affirm in this letter - it is clear that as yet no sufficient degree of consensus has been achieved on the disputed negotiating issues as to allow negotiations to be brought to a successful conclusion. We would therefore like to urgently appeal to the Commission to make full use of all the flexibility available to us under current WTO law and to actively display that flexibility in current negotiations”.November- December: Next EPA negotiation rounds:
- EU-Central Africa Technical and Senior Official negotiations. First half of December, Libreville (Gabon) (date tbc)
- ECOWAS Validation Meeting of the Diagnostic Study on Regional Integration, 4-5 december, Ouagadougou.
- COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit, 7-8 13th December, Victoria Falls.
- SADC-European Commission Senior Officials and Ministerial negotiations, 8-12 December, Brussels.
- Central Africa - European Commission Chief Negotiators Meeting, 11-12 December,
- 88th session of the ACP Council of Ministers, 11-12 december, Brussels.
Partnership for Change project has two thematic focus connected to the heart of development policies and the struggle against poverty.
MDGs and EPAs, central themes of the project, were indeed both created as development policies: the first one, with the aim of committing governments in the South and in the North on punctual development objectives to be reached by 2015, the second one, proposing economic agreements of free trade as an access point to development for many ACP countries.
Newsletter powered by CESTAS in cooperation with Amici dei Popoli, CMO, Hegoa and Risc. The views expressed are those of the NGOs and therefore in no way reflect the official opinion of the European Commission.
To unsubscribe, simply send an e-mail to newsletter-unsubscribe@list.africa-eu.org
This web site is produced with the financial assistance of the European Union by Amici dei Popoli NGO in cooperation Cestas, CMO, Hegoa and Risc. The contents of this web site are the sole responsability of Amici dei Popoli NGO and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.