ISDS Case Map
EPAs
Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and ACP countries (under the Cotonou Agreement)
Following the 94th ACP Council of Ministers held December 2011 in Brussels, the Pacific region is committed to continue negotiating a comprehensive EPA as a single region. Negotiations will be concluded in 2012, as mandated by Pacific ACP Leaders in September 2011.
Government says the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) regional grouping is dedicated to negotiating with the European Union (EU)’s Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) that meet the expectations of member countries.
The signing of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between Europe and the East African bloc (EAC-EPAs) is still uncertain due to disagreements on a number of issues at regional level, as some stakeholders think the signing should not be effected unless some changes are made on the agreement.
The West African Civil Society Platform on the Cotonou Agreement (POSCAO) on Tuesday described the European Union’s (EU) recent threat to Cotonou as a departure from the spirit of partnership.
In preparation for our participation in the Ecowas MMC meeting on EPAs that is currently underway in Accra, The West Africa CSO Platform on the Cotonou Agreement (POSCAO) and the Economic Justice Network of Ghana (EJN) met on Sunday 27th November 2011 to review the state of affairs in the West Africa – EU EPA negotiations and to update West African CSO positions and contributions to this process. The POSCAO/EJN meeting which was hosted by the Secretariat of the Africa Trade Network, also based in Accra adopted a number of positions which we now share with you.
Despite disagreements, the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union is not stalled, Dr Gbenga Obideyi, Director of Trade of ECOWAS has said.
Since the beginning of the year, the Trade and Industry Minister, Hon Hannah Tetteh has continued with her push for Ghana to sign and ratify the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA) that was initialled in 2007 to save small proportion of exporters whose main export destination is the European market.
Experts from the East African Community secretariat will next month fly to Brussels Belgium for an audience with European Union officials to finalise the long-standing negotiations on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).
The Director General of the EAC Customs and Trade Directorate, Mr. Peter Kiguta has confirmed that the East African Community (EAC)-European Union (EU) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Negotiations is on course and Partner States are not being bulldozed.
The Ghana government is likely to tell ECOWAS of its plans to go solo on the signing of the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA) when Trade Ministers in the sub-region meet in the country later this month.
