ISDS Case Map
EPAs
Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and ACP countries (under the Cotonou Agreement)
A senior European Union diplomat in Kingston warned Wednesday that Caribbean countries that fail to sign a trade pact the region negotiated with EU by the October 31 deadline will lose preferential access for their product into the European market.
One of Jamaica's major trade unions is insisting that Jamaica could be heading down a dangerous path if it goes ahead and signs the controversial Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union.
The Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions (JCTU) says it will seek to delay the signing of the proposed Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), between CARIFORUM and the European Union, to allow for a review and possible renegotiation of the agreement.
Civil society organisations have asked governments of ECOWAS countries to suspend all trade-related negotiations with the EU.
Labour unions in Trinidad and Tobago are gearing up for a nationwide shut down of the country on September 8. They are protesting rising crime, uncontrollable food prices and increasing violence in the country, and calling for Trinidad and Tobago not to rush into signing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
Eight months after congratulating themselves for having become the first region within the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) grouping to conclude negotiations with the European Union on a new trade and economic pact, Caribbean leaders are getting cold feet as the time draws near to affix their signatures to the document.
A day after Caricom chairman Baldwin Spencer proposed September 8 for the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) the Observer has learnt that the pact is now unlikely to be signed before either September 12 or September 19.
The Third World Network (TWN) has said that it will continue to mount pressure on the government and policy makers for them to withdraw from signing a non-preferential economic partnership with the European Union (EU).
This paper critically assesses the compatibility of the CARIFORUM-EC EPA with the
proposed CARICOM Single Market and Economy--CSME. The main conclusion is that the CSME, a project for the creation/strengthening of the regional economy for engagement with globalisation,
will be superseded by the EPA, which involves a high degree of bilateral integration of
individual Cariforum countries with Europe in trade, investment and regulatory
policies.
Barbados Prime Minister David Thompson has called for an urgent meeting of the CARICOM heads of government ahead of the scheduled September 2 signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement.
