ISDS Case Map
ACP
Asia, Caribbean, Pacific Group
The European Union Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson, said the EU would not engage in an alternative strategy concerning African, Caribbean and Pacific trade relations with Europe at the World Trade Organisation, stressing that there is definitely "no Plan B" for EU trade relations with the ACP. New Era spoke to trade analyst, Wallie Roux, wherein he responds in his personal capacity to Mandelson's assertions.
Concern is growing in both Europe and developing countries about whether a series of free trade agreements slated for signature later this year will contain overly stringent rules on intellectual property.
L'Europe pourrait accorder des quotas régionaux pour l'exportation de sucre. Ce qui placerait le Maurice et d'autres pays d'Afrique, des Caraïbes et du Pacifique en situation de concurrence face aux gros producteurs dont le Cuba et le Brésil.
The Gambia Social Forum demanded the extension of the deadline of negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union, on the one hand, and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, on the other.
Pacific trade officials and legal experts have expressed their disappointment and deep concern at the draft text proposed by the European Commission for an Economic Partnership Agreement covering trade in goods, trade in services, fisheries, investment and development cooperation.
Civil society groups in Africa have called for the suspension of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) negotiations between the European Union (EU) and the 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries for at least three years to allow African governments to critically look through other regional initiatives they are already engaged in.
African governments, policy analysts, regional economic groups and civil society organizations are increasingly speaking with one voice: the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) now being hammered out between Europe and the ACP countries must be significantly modified to safeguard those countries' prospects for development.
As Africa's leaders met in Accra, Ghana, last week to consider ways of consolidating continental unity through increased trade, pertinent questions were being raised over the impact that a new trade arrangement between the European Union and the 75-member ACP trading bloc will have on regional integration.
Sustainability and trade barriers in biofuels could be addressed through new economic partnership agreements (EPAs), which are currently being negotiated with countries from the African, Caribbean and Pacific bloc. “New EPAs and the EDF will provide a framework for action on trade in biofuels,” a spokesman for the European development commissioner said. “From 2008 onwards this issue will become much more visible.”
OECS Trade Ministers accommodated the European Commission's principal negotiator for the Economic Partnership Agreement, Karl Falkenburg on Wednesday.
