ISDS Case Map
EPAs
Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and ACP countries (under the Cotonou Agreement)
Canadian High Commissioner, Charles Court, has said that the Canada-CARICOM Foreign Trade Agreement (FTA) process has been sideswiped by the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
A trade analyst says SA's objections to an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) were “smoke and mirrors”, and that SA's stance was damaging to the region.
Trade sector advocacy bodies such as the Ghana Trade Livelihood Coalition and Actionaid Ghana as well as some civil society groups have renewed their call on government not to sign the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union.
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.
There are growing concerns, regionwide, that the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME) project may be in serious danger of not being realised as planned for 2015. It is currently on a slow march.
A member of the European Parliament has told the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) - European Union (EU) joint parliamentary assembly meeting this week in Port Moresby that free trade deals initialled between the EU and Pacific countries must be changed to reflect the development needs of the region.
Cote d'Ivoire became the first country in Africa to sign a 'stepping stone' economic partnership agreement with the European Union this week, prompting fears that the accord will prevent the country from developing closer ties with its neighbours.
Pacific governments have given early indications they will not sign the current Economic Partnership Agreement with European Union without amendments.
Concerns have been raised that the European Commission should allow Pacific countries to use export taxes for development purposes and that Economic Partnership Agreements should include adequate protection for infant industries.
Several hundred product lines, mostly in the agricultural, agro-processing and fishing sectors in South Africa, may face increased competition from the European Union.
