EPA media update Marts 09

EPA media update Marts 09

Caribbean

Flexibility urged in activation of EU trade deal

This week’s ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Georgetown said while implementation aspects of the Cariforum trade deal were not yet fully explored, there must be restraint on the part of the EU since structural changes are needed for this region to benefit fully. In that light, members called for flexibility in implementation as well as a review if necessary of certain clauses in the Agreement.   And to this end members welcomed the establishment of the EPA Implementation Unit at the Caricom Secretariat since in their view it will need to have regular consultation with Caribbean national parliaments, according to the final communiqué.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/news/local/02/28/flexibility-urged-in-a...

Guyana president says concerns over EPA still linger

President Bharrat Jagdeo, addressing the opening of the [ACP-EU JPA], said that that the EU has broken the region’s trust in them. “Even thought that this relationship was built on trust and we had good faith in the negotiations and I want to say to you that was not the case, there is a breakdown in trust, I hope that you parliamentarians (EU and ACP)over the next two days will work towards to rebuild this trust,” he said.

He has urged the ACP to be “less trusting” in future deals and that they “put in writing what we want and the understanding of unsets, that we spell these out in greater details so later on there is no issue as to how they will be interpreted.” The head of state told the parliamentarians that the negotiations were done in favour of the EU but said that is now “water under the bridge” and there are even greater challenges ahead when it comes to implementation of the EPA.
http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/news-14537--13-13--.html

Pacific

Briefing paper by Pacific Institute of Public Policy (PIPP)
 
This briefing paper considers the broad lessons learned from the EPA negotiations. In the context of the history and rationale behind enhanced trade relationships, the paper analyses the motives and actions of the key stakeholders: the European Union, individual Pacific countries, sub-regional groupings (like the Melanesian Spearhead Group), and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. The learning from the EPA experience can help all parties prepare for future trade negotiations.
http://www.pacificpolicy.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_downlo...

South Africa

Tricky EPAs with Europe could see SA get burnt

South Africa is likely to remain the "fly in the ointment" in the next phase of negotiations over the economic partnership agreements signed already on an interim basis by three-quarters of Southern African Development Community (SADC) states as the debates turn to freeing up investment and services flows with Europe. A services agreement could be problematic for South Africa as European-based legal firms or banks, for example, could take advantage of weak regulatory regimes in some southern African states.

The move from trade in goods to services and investment could emerge as a new battleground for South Africa which, according to Iraj Abedian, Pan African Investment's chief executive, has been resisting the pressures from the European Union to fast-track the EPAs with its neighbouring states, including Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. Abedian argued that the EU felt it had been left behind by China and India in the African market. "The Europeans are keen to come to a quick arrangement," he said.
http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=552&fArticleId=4876466

EU

McGuinness Report: An encouraging step forward, requiring further support

On January 13, a very large majority of the European Parliament (EP) passed a non-legislative resolution on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Global Food Security, thereby affirming that the CAP should remain the cornerstone of European Union food security policy, even beyond the 2013 horizon. In passing this resolution, the European Parliament has acknowledged not just that agriculture constitutes a sector of strategic importance, situated at the heart of challenges related to food, the environment, and socio-economic considerations, but also that the agricultural sector’s unique nature renders unregulated liberalization of trade hazardous.
http://www.momagri.org/MOMAGRI12_WEB/UK/PAGE_DernieresPublicationsDetail...

CTA newsletter:
* http://brussels.cta.int/newsletter/newsletter_20090226_EN.html
* http://brussels.cta.int/newsletter/newsletter_20090305_EN.html