ISDS Case Map
Africa
Why EPAs threaten the world's forests and forest peoples
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.
The seven-member regional Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is set to become a free trade area.
As the December 2007 deadline was approaching, the European Commission realised that it would not get what it badly wanted: to close a deal with all African regions on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) - basically free-trade pacts.
Agricultural and development economies in Sub-Saharan Africa are the flavour of the month. The global credit crisis, wide-scale economic meltdown and financial recession have sparked a wave of interest about the implications for Africa. It is crucial that this discussion happens.
The prospect of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) between the Gulf and African countries will be discussed at a major conference in Bahrain next month. Hundreds of government officials, bankers and investors are expected to attend.
African governments came under fire for ‘‘blindly'' negotiating the controversial economic partnership agreements (EPAs) and not making an effort to educate ‘‘ordinary people'' on what they were negotiating.
African countries will be locked into an economic model based on the export of raw materials that could have a devastating impact on forests and wildlife, if new EU trade deals shaped by former trade commissioner Peter Mandelson are signed - according to a new report published by Friends of the Earth today (Monday 20 October 2008).
African experts on Friday ended a continental forum on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between European and African countries with the endorsement of proposals towards an African template for EPA negotiations.
The Organisation of African Trade Unions Unity (OATUU) has joined in the crusade against the signing of the EPA, stating several claims which it believed would cripple the economies of member countries, if they go ahead to sign the agreement.
