ISDS Case Map
EU
European Union
The President of the National Union of Public Workers says the Barbados trade union movement missed a golden opportunity to make its views known on the proposed economic partnership agreement between Caricom and the European Union.
Canadian and European officials say they plan to begin negotiating a massive agreement to integrate Canada's economy with the 27 nations of the European Union, with preliminary talks to be launched at an Oct. 17 summit in Montreal three days after the federal election.
This article explores the current crisis in the EU's negotiations for new Economic Partnership Agreements with 76 ACP countries. In particular, this article highlights the rejection of most components of an EPA by Pacific nations -- who are demanding a reduced 'comprehensive EPA'. This has implications for Africa and the Caribbean, where governments are trying to back away from a full EPA with the EU -- to pursue only what might be required for WTO-compatibility.
In perfect coordination, worthy of the political affinity between Alvaro Uribe and Alan García, the two presidents sent identical letters on 9 September 2008 to the President of the European Commission, in which, unilaterally and without consulting their partners in the Andean Community of Nations (CAN), they terminated the Association Agreement negotiations between the CAN and the EU. What they seek is quite serious: to force bilateral negotiations with the European Union, excluding both Bolivia and Ecuador.
Peru's president, Alan García, confirmed today Peruvian interest to sign trade agreement with the European Union (EU); however, he recognized the initial obstacles for consensus in the Andean Community of Nations (CAN).
Thirteen of the 15 Member States indicated their readiness to sign the Agreement at the Third Meeting of the Heads of State and Government of CARIFORUM held at the Sherbourne Centre, Barbados on Wednesday. Haiti indicated that there were reservations which had to be cleared at the Presidential level before signature of the document, while Guyana stated that it was not in a position to sign the EPA.
The European Union (EU) under the French presidency will focus on bilateral approaches in parallel with a bloc-to-bloc discussions with Asean on a free trade agreement, according to the French ambassador to Thailand.
Uruguay formally proposed its Mercosur partners to begin a round of negotiations geared to reach trade agreements with the European Union, United States, South Korea and Canada.
Despite Thailand's political uncertainty the European Union remains keen to negotiate a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) with the Kingdom as a way to facilitate progress on a wider Asean-EU FTA.
While it has been asserted that failure to conclude the agreement within the timeframe dictated by the E.C. would threaten Caribbean exports to Europe, we feel that our leaders should not be constrained to pursue a course of action which could prove to be adverse to our people in the long run.
