ISDS Case Map
EU
European Union
President Bingu wa Mutharika must have had a brilliant vision for Malawi of shifting its goal posts from being an predominantly importing and consuming country to a predominantly producing and exporting country, when he ascended to the throne in May 2004.
The European Union Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson has said African, Caribbean and Pacific are committed to a consensus on Economic Partnership Agreements before the end of the year.
It has been argued that Kenya and other African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries should sign Economic Partnership Agreements to safeguard revenue and jobs and promote growth and development.
An independent private sector body calling itself the Business Trade Forum EU Southern Africa (BTFES) has been inaugurated with the aim of establishing dialogue between business communities and the political leaders in the EU and SADC.
Namibia's Minister of Trade and Industry has been instructed by Cabinet to table a trade agreement between southern Africa and the European Union in the National Assembly for ratification.
Given the delay in the talks and the lack of readiness on the part of the ACP countries, MEPs in the Trade Committee called in a report on Wednesday for the Commission to make the conditions for the agreements less onerous.
Pursuing the case of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union and enhancement of bilateral trade and economic relations would be the agenda of the two days visit of Pakistan federal minister for Commerce Humayun Akhtar Khan to the UK starting Friday.
The association of European banana producers APEB has announced that it will request the EU to leave any discussion of the banana import tariff out of the negotiations on economic collaboration or free trade agreements with the Andean countries in South America and with the countries in Central America.
The European Union said it wants to complete new trade agreements with 78 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries by the end of the year despite opposition from developing countries.
The Finnish government said in a statement Wednesday that the European commission had brought legal action against Finland.
