ISDS Case Map
ACP
Asia, Caribbean, Pacific Group
Brazil has alleged that a clause in the EU's recent trade agreements with several former colonies could discourage these countries, among the world's poorest, from pursuing deeper trade integration with other developing nations.
The ACP Council of Ministers deplores the enormous pressure that has been brought to bear on the ACP States by the European Commission to initial the interim trade arrangements, contrary to the spirit of the ACP-EU partnership.
The EU foreign ministers today adopted a ruling which will allow virtually free access to their markets with effect from Jan 1, 2008 to products from 15 African, Caribbean and Pacific member countries which reached an interim trade agreement with the EU. However, twenty-seven ACP member nations, including 14 in the Caribbean, risk having an increase imposed on their customs tariffs from Jan 1.
World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev Dr Samuel Kobia has told European Commissioner Peter Mandelson that the coercive approach adopted by the EU poisons the negotiating atmosphere and that the interim agreements are not consistent with development, poverty eradication and rights to food.
Southern African Development Community (SADC) and European Union (EU) negotiators have concluded the first phase of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
Namibia and South Africa were the only two southern African countries that did not sign Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) for a new trade deal with the European Union on Friday.
Being able to see though the fog of war and to think forward to a future beyond, is what sets apart great statesmen and women.
The Head of Programmes of Third World Network, Mr Tetteh Hormeku has said that the European Union tactics of demanding from individual countries to sign the Economic Partnership Agreements on their own instead of doing so as a bloc was a major affront to regional integration.
A split has erupted among big economic operators in Cameroon as to whether or not government should respect the dateline of December 31, 2007, to sign the free trade Economic Partnership Accord between the European Union, EU, and some African, Caribbean and Pacific, ACP, countries.
West Africa is sticking by its demand for an extended World Trade Organisation waiver for trade with Europe, rejecting an EU call for new interim commercial deals by December 31.
