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The acp-eu-trade.org newsletter -- No. 16/March 2008 
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In this issue:
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I. Focus on…: Interview with Uros Mahkovec, Counselor to the ACP Working group of the Permanent Representation of Slovenia to the EU
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II. Trade Negotiations Insights Vol.7, No.2
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III. News: Highlights
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IV. Selection from the acp-eu-trade.org Library
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V. Shared by acp-eu-trade.org users
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VI. Resources from Recent Events

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Dear readers,

Welcome to this issue of the acp-eu-trade.org newsletter!

This newsletter provides you with a selection of press articles, highlights some new documents in the acp-eu-trade.org library and gives access to resources from recent events.

For a summary of the state of ACP-EU trade negotiations in each negotiating region, please consult www.acp-eu-trade.org/epa.

ACP-EU stakeholders are encouraged to participate in the various services provided via this website with the aim to exchange relevant information, build up trade negotiating capacity and facilitate networking activities. We therefore invite our readers to take an active role in www.acp-eu-trade.org by:

We appreciate any feedback on this newsletter and look forward to your reactions. You may send your comments to acpeutrade@ecdpm.org.

Enjoy your reading!

Editors: Davina Makhan ( dm@ecdpm.org ) and Corinna Braun-Munzinger ( cbm@ecdpm.org )


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I. Focus On...: Interview with Uros Mahkovec, Counselor to the ACP Working group of the Permanent Representation of Slovenia to the EU
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Slovenia is holding the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 January to 30 June 2008 . In this issue of the acp-eu-trade newsletter, Uros Mahkovec, Counselor on ACP matters for the Permanent Representation of Slovenia to the EU answers our questions and outlines the views of the Slovenian Presidency on the current EPA negotiations.

1. What are the main objectives of the Slovenian Presidency for the ongoing EPA negotiations process? When is it foreseen that Member States will sign the agreements initialled so far and notify them to the WTO?

The process of preparing of formal signing of interim agreements as well as full Caribbean EPAs are in full swing at the moment and Slovenia Presidency is doing utmost on its part for the process to be concluded as soon as possible. But those are complex and long documents, with lot of double checking and with translations to all official languages. Same goes with notification which is possible when certain formal procedures are done. As far as ongoing EPAs negotiations are concerned Slovenian Presidency is putting emphasizes on speedy continuation of negotiation process, including monitoring of initialed agreement, emphasize on regional integration part and design of institutional EPAs framework.

2. In implementing the EU Aid for Trade Strategy adopted in October 2007, which concrete measures are EU Member States taking to support the ongoing EPA negotiation process in 2008 and the implementation of the agreements initialled in 2007?

Maybe this is a question more for member states to answer, but Presidency on its part is conducting the ongoing discussion on how to deliver on promises. This discussion is going on in the framework of CODEV Working Group and special expert working group tasked with implementation of Aid for trade conclusions. Those topics will also be partly included in our package of conclusions for Development GAERC in May 2008. Not directly connected with this, but as a part of broader framework, Presidency is conducting the discussion on MDG or how to deliver more and faster. On our national part of collective goals, as far as Aid for Trade is concerned, we are trying to rearrange our national development priorities: first to deliver more and second to focus also on Africa, which so far was not used to be our prime development partner.

3. "In order to uphold the development dimension of the EPAs", the Council conclusions of November 2007 (2831st External relations Council meeting, 19-20 November 2007) underlined the importance of a monitoring mechanism for EPAs which "should be based on objective and transparent criteria agreed through a broad and inclusive participatory approach".
However, the text of the CARIFORUM-EC EPA, the single comprehensive EPA initialled to date, is vague on monitoring and makes no reference to such criteria or identification thereof and the interim agreements have even looser reference. What does the Council intend to do and could do to make EPA monitoring effective and participatory?

Yes I agree with your observations of weak or vague references to monitoring processes and precisely because of that Slovenian Presidency is focusing on those topics. For a detailed monitoring is maybe a bit early, but on a longer run this should be essential part of the whole process. As far as Cariforum EPAs is concerned the focal point in our opinion is future institutional EPAs set up, monitoring being one of the main ingredients of this. Council is planning extensive discussion on those topics, based on the Commission communications. This goes in parallel with process of legal preparations for signing, but the timeframe for institutional framework is not in some distant future. This discussion is starting now and together with discussion on regional integration, foreseen for incoming French Presidency, the main and most important parts of EPAs process should be in place by the end of this year.

Uros Mahkovec,
Counselor to the ACP Working Group of the Permanent Representation of Slovenia to the EU
Rue du Commerce, 144, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 213 63 25
Email: Uros.Mahkovec@gov.si

Further resources:
-> Website of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union: www.eu2008.si/en
-> Slovenian Presidency programme: EN FR
-> Speech by Mr Andrej VIZJAK , Minister of the Economy, to the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade on 23 January 2008 , presenting the Slovenian Presidency programme in the field of international trade policy

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II. Trade Negotiations Insights Vol.7, No.2
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The March 2008 issue of Trade Negotiations Insights (TNI), a joint monthly publication by ICTSD and ECDPM, is now available online at: www.ictsd.org/tni/index.htm and www.acp-eu-trade.org/tni

Trade Negotiations Insights , Vol. 7, No. 2, March 2008
•  MFN provisions in the EPAs: a threat to South-South trade?
•  Nigerian cocoa processors to lose millions
•  The trials and tribulations of Nigerian cocoa processors
•  The EAC interim agreement: an overview
•  Uganda 's EPA: getting the process 'right'
•  The EAC interim EPA and Rwanda
•  Action stations: advancing a pro-poor services agenda in trade negotiations in 2008
•  GI rules: potential and implications for African countries
•  WTO Roundup
•  EPA Negotiations Update
•  Calendar and resources
Eclairage sur les Négociations , Vol.7, No.2, mars 2008
•  Clauses NPF dans les APE : une menace pour le commerce Sud-Sud ?
•  Le secteur de la transformation du cacao nigérian va perdre des millions
•  Épreuves et tribulations des opérateurs nigérians de la transformation du cacao
•  L'accord intérimaire de la CAE : un aperçu
•  L'APE de l'Ouganda : s'assurer que le processus soit le bon
•  L'APE intérimaire de la CAE et le Rwanda
•  Prendre position : promouvoir un agenda des services axé sur la réduction de la pauvreté dans les négociations commerciales en 2008
•  Les indications géographiques : potentiel et implications pour les pays africains
•  Aperçu sur l'OMC
•  Le point sur les APE
•  Calendrier et publications

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III. News: Highlights
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EPA Negotiations: Where do we stand?

*EPA Negotiations: Where do we stand?
ECDPM, Last update: 3 March 2008
For an overview of the initialled agreements and the state of negotiations in each region visit www.acp-eu-trade.org/epa

*La négociation des APE: Etat des lieux
ECDPM, dernière mise à jour : 3 mars 2008
Pour une vue d'ensemble des accords paraphés ainsi que l'état des lieux des négociations dans chaque région, visitez notre page spéciale : www.acp-eu-trade.org/ape

From our News section:

*Sources indicate that the EC plans on completing EDF Regional Indicative Programmes (RIPs) in September. Draft RIPs would be shared with EU Member States in April and the EPA Regional Preparatory Task Forces (RPTFs) would be ongoing region by region with meetings open to EU Member States.

*The EC would like to have regional aid for trade packages in place by the end of the year. The EC is expected to produce a staff working document on aid for trade soon.

*Public consultation for an EC Communication on Regional Integration in ACP countries will take place from early March to early May, with a view to adopting the EC Communication in September. -> see Recent events : * Event: European Parliament Development Committee , 3 March 2008 , discussion on the upcoming communication

*ECDPM is actively seeking to work with regional organisations on implementation of the EPAs
At this stage, and from a more technical point of view, we believe it is important for the African regions to systematically and thoroughly exchange on the content of the texts of the agreements on the table, in order to eventually import better formulated or more advantageous clauses from another text into their own.
In order to better grasp the challenges ahead, ECDPM and ODI are conducting a comparative analysis of the content of the agreements and their impact on the regions and countries concerned. The joint study, financed by the Dutch Ministry for Foreign Affairs (DGIS/DDE), will also examine the possible scenarios for the way forward, from both a development and regional integration point of view, drawing on some of the lessons learned from the EPA negotiation process. The implications for aid modalities for the coming years will also be looked into. The report should be available in the second half of March.
As a facilitator, ECDPM is happy to support relevant activities in the aftermath of the initialling of interim EPAs and the way forward, and can help organise meetings to that end or facilitate contacts between ACP and EU key stakeholders. Please don't hesitate to let us know how we could best support you on this.

From ACP and EU news providers:

** All-ACP **

* How Europe Lost Africa
Dominic Johnson, Spiegel Online International, 28 February 2008
The pressure exerted by the European Union on African governments to sign new free trade deals, the continuing crisis over illegal migration, and a perceived reluctance of European institutions to engage with their African counterparts have created the impression that Europe is an unreliable partner for an Africa seeking to redefine its place in the world order. This crisis of mutual perception between Europe and Africa is real and, with hindsight, 2007 may come to be regarded as the year of missed opportunities -- the year when Europe finally lost the preeminence it once had in Africa .

* Les Ape ont « blanchi » le dumping de l'Union européenne
Gérard Choplin, Coordonnateur de la Coordination paysanne européenne, in Le Quotidien, Dakar, Sénégal, 27 février 2008
Interpellé à Bruxelles au moment où la Commission européenne est parvenue à convaincre certains pays Acp à signer des Ape intermédiaires, le leader paysan européen explique que ces accords sont autant rejetés par les paysans d'Europe qu'ils sont vomis par ceux des pays du Sud. Il ajoute à son refus des Ape, celui de voir des produits alimentaires servir à produire du carburant. Ses propos ont le poids d'une personne qui s'exprime au nom d'une vingtaine d'organisations paysannes, représentées dans une quinzaine de pays d'Europe, et regroupant plusieurs dizaines de milliers de membres. Et la crédibilité d'un des dirigeants de Via Campesina, organisation regroupant des structures paysannes du Nord comme du Sud.

* AU writes to José Manuel Barroso to ask for immediate resumption of negotiations on EPA at highest level
Agence Europe / groups.google.com, 22 February 2008
The African group of ambassadors to Brussels has welcomed the appeal launched by the African Union (AU) to reopen, at the highest level and without delay, discussions on the economic partnerships agreements (EPA), in line with the conclusions of the EU /Africa Summit of Lisbon last December. To date, however, there is nothing to indicate that on the European side, preparations to implement the promise made in Lisbon are picking up speed.

* EU: Deals with Africa a ‘PR disaster'
David Cronin, IPS, 26 February 2008
Thirty-five of almost 80 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries have so far signed Economic Partnership Agreements with the EU. The accords commit ACP states to removing most tariffs they levy on imported goods. Klaus Rudischhauser, director of ACP relations in the European Commission, said that the EU executive had always viewed these agreements as positive tools for economic development. "I'm still convinced that they are, but the problem has been a huge communications failure," he added.

* EPAs Born of EU's Concern with China in Africa
Miriam Mannak, IPS, 26 February 2008
The European Union (EU) is concerned about competing with China for access to resources and markets in Africa , which partly explains its drive to hook African states into the trade deals called economic partnership agreements (EPAs). According to Dr Rob Davies, South Africa 's deputy minister of trade and industry, the EU is afraid that it will lose its foothold on the African continent and wants to prevent this at all cost.

* EU EPAs Could Inhibit South-South Trade Integration, Brazil Alleges
BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest - Vol. 12, Number 6, ICTSD, 20 February 2008
Brazil has alleged that a clause in the EU's recent trade agreements with several former colonies could discourage these countries, among the world's poorest, from pursuing deeper trade integration with other developing nations. This would run counter to a WTO principle aimed at increasing poor countries' participation in global commerce, Brazil claims, adding that it sits uneasily with the EU's oft-stated commitment to promoting South-South trade.

-> see * Statement by Brazil at the WTO General Council Meeting, 5 February 2008

* Africa: Europe Trade Pacts Offer New Challenges, Opportunities
Peter Draper, allAfrica.com, 4 February 2008
New trade agreements with Europe have raised legitimate fears for the future of African industry but offer new potential for two-way trade, buttressed by aid and "aid for trade" packages. Now trade talks turn to even more contentious issues, such as investment, intellectual property and trade in services, writes Peter Draper in the first of a new series of regular columns for AllAfrica from experts of the South African Institute of International Affairs.

* Start of the All ACP Agricultural Commodities Programme
All ACP Agricultural Commodities Programme, Newsletter No. 1, February 2008
The first newsletter issued by the Programme introduces readers to this new EU-funded programme, provides details on the major consultations being planned in the various ACP regions and gives some insights into the “Trade Opportunity Scans” being run by programme partners.

* Barroso's EPA Intervention to Be ''More Than Symbolic''
David Cronin, IPS, 31 January 2008
During a summit meeting of African and European Union leaders in Lisbon , Portugal , Barroso promised that there would be an opportunity to revise provisions in the economic partnership agreements (EPAs) signed between the two sides over the past few months. […]‘‘The president has committed to personally intervene,'' a European Commission insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, told IPS. ‘‘There are no dates yet. The feeling is that it's a bit like a silver bullet, you can only fire it once, so you have to choose the right moment.''

* Africans Stuck With EU Deals
David Cronin, IPS, 29 January 2008
European Union trade commissioner Peter Mandelson has distanced himself from a pledge to enable African countries revise a series of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) recently clinched with Brussels .
During last month's summit between EU and African leaders in Lisbon , European Commission president José Manuel Barroso said that contentious clauses in these free trade accords signed before Dec. 31 could be opened for further discussion at a later stage.
But Mandelson said Monday he was not in favour of a fresh dialogue on deals already secured.

-> see also our Events section: European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson speaking to the European Parliament Development Committee

* CEPII study says impact of EPAs on ACP economies would be negative, if small
acp-eu-trade.org, excerpt from Julio Godoy, IPS, 26 January 2008
According to a study by the Paris-based Research Centre in International Economics (CEPII, after its French name), the impact of EPAs on ACP economies would be negative, if small.
On the one hand, the liberalisation of trade with the EU would represent a 22 percent growth of imports from Europe . But, if 20 percent of these new imports are blocked by the ‘‘sensitive products'' clause, that growth would fall to 16 percent, representing some 3.5 billion euros in new imports from Europe . However, these new imports from Europe would substitute goods the ACP countries presently bring in from the U.S. , Brazil , China , Japan and other countries, thus reducing the new trade debit balance for the ACP countries to 1.8 billion euros. As the CEPII notes, given that the ACP countries imported a total of 102 billion euros in goods and services in 2005, that new deficit is insignificant. More important is the ACP custom revenues loss due to EPAs, as estimated by the CEPII. These losses could go up 3 billion euros per year for the ACP countries, with individual impacts going on from five to 35 percent of the state budget.

* Les Ape : Quel projet pour quelle finalité ?
Adama Dieng (Sous-Secrétaire général des Nations Unis, Greffier du Tribunal Pénal International pour le Rwanda), SudOnline, 22 janvier 2008
Je salue le courage et l'intelligence des Présidents Abdoulaye Wade et Tabo Mbeki, deux visionnaires du Continent, qui ont su prendre la tête de la croisade contre les Ape. Les relations inégalitaires de l'Afrique avec l'Ue n'ont pas toujours fait l'objet d'un effort scientifique destiné à trouver un juste équilibre taillé dans un vêtement juridique adéquat.

** Caribbean **

* More aid-for-trade or more EU financial sleight-of-hand
Clive Thomas, Stabroek News, 9 March 2008
The most disconcerting aspect of the EU's sleight-of-hand and regular re-packaging of aid envelopes to accompany new initiatives on behalf of poor countries is that the development dimension of the EPA can only be made secure if the EU makes its assistance commitments legal, time-bound, specific and subject to the legal provisions of the Dispute Avoidance and Settlement provisions in the EPA.

* Caricom, EU to sign EPA in June
Trinidad & Tobago Express, 8 March 2008
Caribbean Community (Caricom) Governments and the European Union will not be signing the controversial Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in April, as scheduled. They will instead sign the EPA two months later, Trade and Industry Minister Dr Keith Rowley said […]."There has been a little slippage with respect to the date for the signing of the EPA with the European Union... that's now pushed back down towards June because the technical people and the Secretariat had some more work to do in preparing the final document," Rowley said.

* UNDERSTANDING THE EPA - Institutional arrangements raise concerns - Supranational council seen as infringing sovereignty
David Jessop , Jamaica Gleaner, 7 March 2008
This seemingly dry text is in fact of considerable importance not least because it will determine how the EPA is implemented, who will benefit, and how decisions will be made on its governance. According to some in the region, it also touches on issues of Caribbean sovereignty and may affect less directly the Caribbean relationship in the all-ACP Cotonou Convention with Europe .

-> * UNDERSTANDING THE EPA, Part 8 - The development dimension
David Jessop , Jamaica Gleaner, 29 February 2008
Of all the aspects of the recently initialled economic partnership agreement (EPA) with Europe , the one that remains the least defined is its development dimension.
This is because the EPA contains no guarantees about how trade liberalisation will benefit Caribbean society, nor does it detail when and how governments and the private sector are to receive support that will help them enhance their global competitiveness.

* Renegotiate the EPA
Havelock Brewster, Norman Girvan, Vaughan Lewis, Memorandum submitted for the consideration of the Reflections Group of the Caricom Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on 27 February 2008
We wish to make the following contribution to the deliberations of the Reflections Group on the CARIFORUM- EC Economic Partnership Agreement. We start by noting that the Statement by a Group of Concerned Citizens, to which we are all signatories, has been interpreted in some quarters to mean a defence of traditional export preferences. This is not the case.
Below we list several areas of concern that we have identified. Some relate to process and others to content. We conclude by setting out some options that may be available to the region.

-> see reaction by the CRNM: * Negotiating body rebuffs call for renegotiating of EC deal , Starbroek News, 12 March 2008

* Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is best trade pact for now – Bernal
Jamaica Gleaner, 27 February 2008
Director General of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) and principal negotiator of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), Ambassador Dr Richard Bernal, has stoutly defended the EPA between Cariforum and the European Union (EU). He declared that the accord was not a panacea, but represented the best trade pact the region could enter into at this time.

For a summary of different positions on the EPA expressed in the Caribbean, see:
* The EPA: Boon or Burden
Selwyn Ryan, Trinidad and Tobago Express, 24 February 2008
A major ideological and propaganda battle is currently raging within and across the Caribbean concerning the merits and demerits of the recently negotiated Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between CARIFORUM and the European Union. The battle is being waged on two fronts, one related to process and the other to what was won or lost at the negotiation table. Was the Agreement the best and only development game in town, as some claim, or a sell out by Caribbean negotiators and the governments who briefed them or failed to do so responsibly? There is a great deal of misinformation being strewn about, and it is difficult for outsiders to really know what is fact and what is really fiction.
and:
* CARICOM's Divide on EPA
Rickey Singh, The Jamaica Observer, 10 February 2008
Fierce disagreements and divisions have emerged within the Caribbean Community over the recently concluded negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU). Involved, publicly, are two heads of government, Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo and Jamaica's Prime Minister Bruce Golding; some leading regional intellectuals and scholars; the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) and some 100 hundred signatories, including representatives of non-government organisations (NGOs) who have forwarded their concerns in a letter to the Community Secretariat last month (January 18).

* Commentary: CARIFORUM - EU Economic Partnership Agreement - what to do with it now
Amitava Chaudhuri, Caribbean Net News, 7 February 2008
To begin with one needs to ask some questions. Was the EPA a result of WTO stipulations? Were its terms a result of the EU's wish to empower the Caribbean people? Whatever the answers are, perhaps the implications of the EPA to both sides are not quite as they appear. At this juncture what is important is to note that so far achieving influence and market access through globalization, which manifests itself in several ways including though EPAs, seem to have had the net effect of helping only the developing world.

* COTED decides on independent review of EPA
Starbroek News, 26 January 2008
A decision to have an independent review of the recently concluded Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations between CARIFORUM and the European Union (EU) has been taken by the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED).

* Implications of the Economic Partnership Agreement
Jamaica Gleaner, 25 January 2008
The Cariforum-EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is more than just a trade agreement: its scope embraces many subjects that have up to now been solely or mainly within national and regional jurisdiction.

-> see also: * Implications of the EPA, part 2 - Modest concessions on development assistance, more intense competition on horizon
Norman Girvan, Jamaica Gleaner, 1 February 2008
-> see also: * Implications of the EPA, part 3 - Supra-nat'l - Cariforum-EC Joint Council consensus decisions supreme
Norman Girvan, Jamaica Gleaner, 15 February 2008

** West Africa **

*New ECOWAS EPA website launched at http://www.epa.ecowas.int/

* Update on the EU-West Africa EPA negotiations
EPA Flash News, European Commission, 11 March 2008
The European Commission and West Africa negotiators (ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions) met in Ouagadougou on 3-6 March to establish the working calendar of regional EPA negotiations this year. West Africa is politically committed to negotiate a full EPA at the latest by mid-2009 and earlier if possible. The EC and West Africa will meet again in April and June 2008 to make progress ahead of the ECOWAS Heads of States summit of 16 June.
West Africa is developing a regional market access offer and aims at finalizing it in May 2008. It is also working on a draft EPA text with a view to have negotiations on some chapters in April. The region is also working on expressing more precisely its needs before the summer in terms of EPA related programme on development strategies of WA.

* ECOWAS CET: The imperatives of Nigeria's Fifth Band
Ken Ukaoha, National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), 6 March 2008
The ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) has remained an issue of strong discourse and controversy in West Africa for a long time, especially since the inception of the EPA negotiations. The ECOWAS CET is an instrument for tariff setting and liberalization which ought to take care of a common market access within the ambits of regional trade and economic integration in the West African region.

* Les députés guinéens se prononcent contre les Accords de Partenariat Economique
Thierno Yimbering Diallo, Kababachir, Guinée, 27 février 2008
Décidément, les députés guinéens entendent se racheter avant la fin imminente de leur législature pour entrer par la grande porte dans l'histoire. Le dernier acte en date est leur déclaration à la faveur d'un atelier destiné portant sur le renforcement de leur capacité sur les Accords de Partenariat Economique (APE). L'atelier de deux jours, qui a pris fin mardi, est une initiative du Centre du Commerce International pour le Développement en collaboration avec ENDA Tiers Monde Sénégal. A l'issue de la rencontre qui a connu la participation d'une vingtaine de députés, ces derniers ont clairement signifié leur hostilité aux Accords de Partenariat Economiques. Ceci, à travers une déclaration digne d'un réquisitoire contre ce cadre de relation commerciale entre les pays d'Afrique, Caraïbes et Pacifiques (A C P) et l'Union Européenne.

* Ivory Coast says EPA deal will lead way for region
Loucoumane Coulibaly, Reuters, 13 February 2008
Ivory Coast will sign a definitive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe in June, which it believes will open the door for other West African countries, a minister said on Wednesday. […]"We have the authorisation of the UEMOA to sign the definitive agreement by June 2008," Kone told a news conference, adding this would be done before June 30. "This ... will give a blast of acceleration which should allow ECOWAS to conclude a regional EPA in the coming months."

* ECOWAS trade agreements with the EU – report from Accra
Francis Ameyibor, AfricaNews.com /tralac, 12 February 2008
ECOWAS trade agreements with the EU – report from Accra
A tripartite meeting between Nigeria, Ghana and Cote d'Ivorie, the non-LDCs (least-developed countries) in West Africa (ECOWAS), was held recently in Accra. The purpose was to review the current predicament facing Ghana and Cote d'Ivorie after they signed interim economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with the European Union (EU) recently.
European Commissioner urges West African LDCs to join regional EPA:

EC Commissioner urges West African LDCs to join regional EPA:
* EU pledges commitment to development for African Cotton producing countries
EUROPA Rapid Press Releases, 6 February 2008
The [EU Trade] Commissioner [Peter Mandelson] also urged Mali, Benin and Burkina Faso to join negotiations for Economic Partnership Agreements with the Western and Central African regions that will continue this year. Also as Least Developed Countries, Mali, Benin and Burkina Faso already have full duty and quota free access to the EU market, integration into regional Economic Partnership Agreements would provide additional trade benefits, including new agreements on development cooperation and the opportunity to benefit from reformed rules of origin.

* APE : la signature d'un accord intérimaire par la Côte d'Ivoire ne peut pas bloquer le processus d'intégration, selon un officiel de l'UEMOA
APS /African Global News, 27 février 2008
Le Commissaire chargé des politiques économiques et de la fiscalité intérieure de l'Union économique et monétaire ouest africaine (UEMOA) Elhadj Abdou Sakho a déclaré, mercredi à Dakar, que la conclusion d'un accord intérimaire entre la Côte d'ivoire et l'Union européenne (UE) dans le cadre des Accords de partenariat économique ne devrait pas bloquer le processus d'intégration en œuvre dans cette partie du continent africain.

** Central Africa **

* La douane Camerounaise face aux défis des APE
Achille Mbog Pibasso, Les Afriques, 9 mars 2008
Une récente étude de l'administration douanière et du patronat démontre que le Cameroun pourrait perdre en moyenne 100 milliards de francs CFA par an à cause des APE.

* Individual EPAs ''Do Not'' Undermine Regional Integration
David Cronin, IPS, 15 February 2008
Central African countries have committed themselves to finalising an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union by June this year. […] Of the eight Central African countries involved, only Cameroon reached an interim EPA – restricted to trade in goods - by the December 31 deadline set by the Commission. San Bilal from the European Centre for Development Policy Management in the Netherlands said that this has resulted in much friction between Cameroon and the other governments in the regional grouping. […]‘Separate deals with individual states or groups of countries have effectively split ACP regions and have caused much tension between neighbours,'' he added. ‘‘Only the European Commission seems to have the audacity to claim otherwise.'' Louis Michel, the European commissioner in charge of relations with ACP countries, refuted his argument. ‘‘It would be untrue to say that by signing individual EPAs with individual countries, the EU has destroyed efforts towards regional integration,'' said Michel. ‘‘The commitment of the ACP and the EU to regional integration and to the creation of regional markets remains undiminished.''

* Cameroun: Certaines propositions de la Commission de réforme fiscale sont prises en compte dans la loi de finances 2008
Entretien avec M. Ngole, Marc Omboui, CRTV, 16 janvier 2008
La perspective de la signature des APE avec l'UE constitue le contexte et même le prétexte de la réforme de 2007. En effet, l'une des conséquences évidentes de l'entrée en vigueur desdits accords est la chute drastique des recettes douanières. Le budget de l'Etat étant en constante hausse, il faut pouvoir compenser ce gap de ressources par une mobilisation plus grande, plus importante et plus efficace des recettes fiscales internes.

* Paul Biya explique l'accord intérimaire sur les APE
Journal Chrétien, 5 janvier 2008
La situation spécifique du Cameroun, en particulier les conséquences défavorables pour ses exportations en cas d'une non signature des Accords de partenariat économique (APE) avec l'Union européenne (UE) avant la fin de l'année 2007, ont obligé ce pays à signer un accord intérimaire, a expliqué le chef de l'Etat Paul Biya.

** ESA **

* Zambia: ESA to continue EPA negotiations
The Times of Zambia /tralac, 5 March 2008
Felix Mutati, Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister, has reiterated the commitment of Eastern and Southern African (ESA) countries to conclude a “comprehensive, inclusive and development friendly Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU)”. Mutati, who is also chairman of the ESA council of ministers under the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), said that the region has agreed to continue negotiations with the European Commission (EC) as a collective body of 16 countries as they consider regional integration important.
The comments were made during the joint ESA-EC council meeting at the COMESA secretariat in Lusaka on Monday, which was focused on the EPA negotiations.

-> see also: joint conclusions of the EC-ESA EPA Trade Ministerial Meeting , 3 March 2008 in Resources from Recent Events

* Southern Africa: Plan endorsed to merge trade blocs
Allan Odhiambo, Business Daily/ tralac, 21 February 2008
Trade ministers from COMESA (the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) have approved a resolution which will set the stage for the establishment of Africa's largest common market. The ministers want trade regimes within COMESA as well as the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) to be harmonised.

-> see Recent events : * Event: COMESA Ministerial Task Forces on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and the Customs Union, Lusaka , 10-11 February 2008
-> This proposal was previously endorsed by EAC ministers: Ministers propose bigger E. African trading bloc , Allan Odhiambo, Business Daily, 13 February 2008

* Malawi: ''Trade Capacity Is Worse Despite Preferential Access''
Pilirani Semu-Banda, IPS, 28 January 2008
Malawians still await the details of the impending economic partnership agreement (EPA) which their government is entering into with the European Union (EU). Ten of the country's most influential non-governmental (NGOs) have embarked on various initiatives to signal their grave concern about the implications of the EPA for Malawi.

** SADC **

* Swaziland : EPAs a threat to services and investment
Teetee Zwane, The Swazi Observer /tralac, 7 March 2008
Although government has reaffirmed its commitment to the second phase of negotiations towards a full EPA (economic partnership agreement) with the European Union (EU), which relates to trade in services and investment, economists continue to argue that it will be detrimental to the domestic industry. Economist Thembinkosi Dlamini [...] said that Swaziland or the Southern African Development Community (SADC) would not be able to compete with a European company for trade in services.

* Southern Africa: SA Pulls Back On Threat to Customs Body
Mathabo Le Roux, Business Day /allAfrica.com, 6 March 2008
South African trade negotiators have, at least for now, backed off from their threat to break up the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) in a standoff with other member states over a divisive economic partnership agreement (EPA) being negotiated with the European Union (EU). At a crucial meeting of Southern African Development Community (SADC) trade ministers in Gaborone which ended on Tuesday, SA was less confrontational than a week earlier. […] However, SA had not relented on its concerns about the content of the interim EPA, and remained outside the negotiations. It is understood that other members of Sacu, notably Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland, flexed their muscle at the Gaborone meeting, demanding that SA's concerns be addressed collectively in the customs union before being put to the EU. […] A trade commentator […] said the situation was politically sensitive, with Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland for the first time challenging SA's unilateral approach in the region. […]

* Southern Africa: European Trade Deal Challenges Unity
Nkululeko Khumalo, allAfrica.com, 6 March 2008
The EPA talks have caused serious problems and threaten the very existence of SACU. The fact that Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho and Namibia (the last with some reservations) have signed the interim EPAs and South Africa has not undermines the integrity of the customs union since there will now be two different external tariff regimes.
Further, since the SACU Agreement prohibits any member state from negotiating and entering into trade agreements with external partners without the consent of other members, South Africa could legally challenge the IEPAs by simply withholding its consent. In the poisoned atmosphere that is currently prevailing within SACU such an approach could precipitate its dissolution. […]
The priority at this stage is to bring SA to sign the IEPA and flexibilities will have to be introduced into the agreement in order to do so. This would require a lot of political will and sensitivity from SA and the EU. The second phase is not really a problem for now since all that is required is commitment to negotiate.

* EU trade deals harm Africa unity - S.Africa's Mbeki
Reuters, 6 March 2008
South Africa will continue engaging with the European Union to ensure new trade agreements with African countries do not harm regional integration, President Thabo Mbeki said on Thursday. […]"It is clear to us that various provisions in the economic partnership agreements would work in an adverse manner ... with regard to this process of regional integration," said Mbeki in reply to a question in parliament.

* Mozambique: European Commission Compensates Sugar Sector
Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique, Maputo, 4 March 2008
The Mozambican Agriculture Ministry signed in Maputo on Monday an agreement with the European Commission, under which this institution is to finance the second phase of "accompanying measures" to cope with the reform of the European Union's sugar regime.
The document, signed by Agriculture Minister Soares Nhaca, and the chief of the EC delegation in Mozambique, Glauco Calzuola, grants six million euros (about nine million US dollars) for a three year period, starting in 2008.

* State of the Nation Address of the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki
The Citizen, 8 February 2008
[…] We continue to be committed to a free trade area in the Southern African Development Community, and hope to use our Chairpersonship of SADC in 2008/2009 further to give impetus to the regional endeavours in this regard.
It is in this context, as well, that we shall continue our bilateral and multilateral interactions with our neighbours and the European Union, within the context of the process led by the African Union, to ensure that the negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement are completed as soon as possible, premised on accelerating the development of our region. […]

** Pacific **

* Vanuatu ready to trade under PICTA
Press statement, Pacific Forum Secretariat, 29 February 2008
The Republic of Vanuatu has completed the domestic requirements to be able to trade under the terms and conditions of the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA).

* Pacific ACP Trade Officials discuss update on EPA negotiations
Press statement, Pacific Forum Secretariat, 22 February 2008
Trade officials considered an update on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations and other trade matters of importance to the Pacific ACP States (PACPS) in the EPA negotiations when they met in Nadi , Fiji on 21 February 2008 . […] Officials also considered the issue on the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER Plus)[…]. The meeting concluded with recommendations for the consideration of PACPTM on the issues discussed, including a recommendation on a possible road map of activities for the region to conclude a comprehensive EPA at the end of this year.

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IV. Selection from the acp-eu-trade.org Library
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* The initialed texts of the interim agreements and of the EU-CARIFORUM EPA are accessible through the acp-eu-trade.org library

* Summaries on the initialed agreements and press releases by the European Commission

Executive Briefs by CTA on the initialled agreements:
* Caribbean , January 2008
* SADC configuration , January 2008
* ESA , January 2008
* West Africa , December 2007
* Central Africa , January 2008
* Pacific , October 2007

Briefs on the CARIFORUM-EU EPA by the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), February/March 2008:
* Legal and Institutional Issues in the EPA
* Understanding the Nature and Scope of the Public Procurement Chapter of the CARIFORUM-EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)
* EPA Provisions on Customs and Trade Facilitation
* Rules of Origin
* The treatment of professional services in the EPA
* The Treatment of Tourism in the EPA
* The Treatment of Fisheries in the EPA
* Trade Related Issues
* What's in the EPA for the Private Sector?
* Services and Investment
* Agriculture
* Special and Differential Treatment Provisions in the EPA
* Differentiation in the EPA

* An Impact Study of the EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) in the six ACP Regions
Lionel Fontagné, David Laborde, Cristina Mitaritonna, final report prepared for the European Commission, January 2008
The framework for the analysis is a partial equilibrium model focusing on the demand side. Different simulations are performed in order to assess the impact of both potential outcomes from the EPA negotiations and alternative scenarios in the event that EPAs are not signed.

* Erosion of trade preferences in the post-Hong Kong framework: From "trade is better than aid" to "aid for trade"
UNCTAD, 18 January 2008
The study examines which products and countries have benefited the most from existing preferences granted by the United States , Japan and the European Union and what the likely effects will be of preference erosion. It asks what the relationship is between preference erosion and recent proposals for aid for trade and the Enhanced Integrated Framework for trade-related technical assistance to LDCs, a joint initiative of UNCTAD, the WTO, the International Trade Centre, UNDP, the IMF and the World Bank. The study finds that although there has been some progress in widening the scope of trade preferences for LDCs, the issue of erosion of trade preferences remains to be addressed to the satisfaction of many developing countries.

* Note de travail relative à la réforme du Tarif extérieur commun de la CEDEAO
Rédigée à la demande d'OXFAM international et du ROPPA, 16 janvier 2008
La décision de doter la CEDEAO d'un Tarif Extérieur Commun remonte à janvier 2006 et celui-ci devait entrer en vigueur en janvier 2008, après une période de transition de deux ans, et à temps pour la mise en œuvre des APE. Toutefois, i) la question de la création d'un cinquième niveau de droit de douane (couramment appelé « 5 ème bande » n'est pas tranchée); (ii) les instruments de défense commerciale complémentaires des droits de douane ne sont pas adoptés ; (iii) les listes d'exception B n'ont par conséquent pas été totalement arbitrées ; (iv) le Nigeria a suspendu l'application du TEC sans que l'on sache encore clairement quelles sont les implications pratiques de cette décision. Tout ceci introduit un climat d'incertitude très grand au sein de la région sur la (ou plutôt les) politique commerciale effectivement appliquée en Afrique de l'Ouest.

* Building Productive Capacities for Trade Competitiveness: Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and UNIDO's response
Mohamed Lamine Dhaoui, Adrian Schöning, Background paper to a High-Level Panel at the 12th Session of UNIDO General Conference, 3-7 December 2007
This paper intends to provide extensive background information and discussion material on the EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreements. Part I includes an overview of the EU-ACP economic and trade cooperation including a situation analysis of the economic position of the ACP region. Special emphasis is put on the development component and the Aid for Trade initiatives. Part II entails a discussion of the opportunities and challenges of EPAs and proposes several adjustment measures on how to foster regional integration, strengthen productive and trade capacities and mitigate the negative effects from trade liberalization of industrial products. Part III presents UNIDO's response to EPAs, including its approach and the experience of past industrial upgrading and modernization programmes.

* Aid for Trade and Development
Edited by Dominique Njinkeu and Hugo Cameron, ILEAP, Toronto , December 2007
Following in the wake of the World Trade Organization's engagement with Aid for Trade, this book brings together a range of perspectives around this emerging issue. The collection of articles in this volume presents many of the ideas elaborated through research conducted by International Lawyers and Economists Against Poverty (ILEAP) since 2005 and is intended to provide a basis for further study. Since many of the contributions on aid for trade to date have come from the North, the book looks to deepen the debate by forwarding voices and experiences from the South. The book traces the evolution of Aid for Trade from its beginnings and examines the global architecture, modalities, and costs associated with its implementation. Drawing on lessons from national and regional experiences, this book further explores ways in which Aid for Trade can both move forward and become a real tool for poverty reduction in beneficiary countries.

* L'aide au commerce dans les pays en développement : des articulations complexes pour une efficacité réelle
Anna Lipchitz, Marilyne Huchet-Bourdon, Audrey Rousson , Agence Française de Développement - Agrocampus Rennes, novembre 2007
Cette étude propose une méthodologie pour guider les bailleurs de fonds dans la définition de leurs stratégies. Tout au long de ce travail, une attention particulière est portée sur les IDE afin d'approfondir la relation entre commerce, IDE et développement. De plus, l'article est novateur en ce sens qu'il propose une typologie cherchant à recenser les besoins des pays bénéficiaires ; des priorités, géographiques et sectorielles, pourraient ainsi être établies. Les bailleurs de fonds pourraient ainsi mieux orienter leurs choix de projets, selon leurs capacités de financement.

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V. Shared by acp-eu-trade.org users
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We invite all visitors to acp-eu-trade.org to actively participate by sharing relevant documents or other information on ACP-EU trade relations at acpeutrade@ecdpm.org .

Below you find a selection of the latest contributions:

Shared by Zuzana Púciková, Account Executive, GPlus Europe:
Economic Partnership Agreement between the CARIFORUM states, on the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, on the other part
Initialled on 16 December 2007 , published by the European Commission
Additional resources:
-> Annexes
-> Protocols
-> Press release and disclaimer by the European Commission
-> Exclusions List Agreed by Principal Negotiators (Dec 15th, Barbados) , published by the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery

Shared by Johan Billiet, President, Association for International Arbitration:
* Event: "ACP-EU International Arbitration Conference", Brussels
Date: 21 May 2008
On 21 May 2008 an international conference on ACP-EU-arbitration issues (Cotonou Agreement, EPAs, WTO and the legal realities in the ACP-countries) will be organized in Brussels by the Association for International Arbitration (AIA).
Resources:
-> Information on the AIA website , including list of topics

Shared by Professor Norman Girvan, University of the West Indies :
* Implications of the Cariforum-EC EPA
Norman Girvan, 21 January 2008
The Cariforum-EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is more than just a trade agreement: its scope embraces many subjects that have up to now been solely or mainly within national and regional jurisdiction. As a legally binding international instrument with elaborate implementation and enforcement provisions, it embodies a higher degree of supranational governance than the corresponding arrangements in the Caribbean Community. […]
This article focuses on just a few features of the EPA that appear to have significant implications for national and regional development, for the region's autonomy in policymaking and for its ability to fashion a CSME that responds to its own choices and priorities. I believe that the issues that arise buttress the arguments for full public disclosure, public explanation and public discussion of the EPA.

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VI. Resources from Recent Events
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* Event: ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
Date: 15-20 March 2008
Resources:
-> Agenda EN FR
-> Documents on the Standing Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade EN FR
-> Webpage with additional meeting documents and practical information EN FR

-> * Event: Regional Assembly of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Windhoek , Namibia
Date: 28 to 30 April 2008
The first Regional Assembly of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly will take place in Windhoek , Namibia with 15 MEPs and 15 JPA members, one from each member state of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to discuss regional issues.

* Evénement: Réunion Afrique centrale – CE, Bruxelles
Date : 10-12 mars 2008
Lors des réunions qui se sont tenues à Bruxelles les 10-12 mars 2008 entre la Communauté Européenne et la partie Afrique Centrale, un examen exhaustif de l'accord paraphé a été réalisé. Le texte de l'accord a fait l'objet de corrections qui sont intégrées dans le document final. Ce texte d'accord est final et sera utilisé par les parties dans le processus relatif à la signature et les ratifications.
Ressources :
-> Conclusions des réunions
-> Communiqué de presse et texte de l'accord

* Event: 19 th Intersessional Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Nassau , The Bahamas
Date: 7-8 March 2008
Resources:
-> Communiqué
-> Photo gallery

* Event: 1st EAC-EC Senior Officials Meeting on negotiations of a comprehensive EPA, Arusha , Tanzania
Date: 6 March 2008
Senior Officials from the East African Community (EAC) Partner States and the European Commission met in Arusha on 6th March 2008 . [...] The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss state of play regarding the Framework EAC-EC EPA in the context of signature and ratification, notification to the WTO and implementation issues; discussion on negotiations in view of concluding a comprehensive EPA by 31st July 2009 in accordance with Article 37 of the Framework Agreement.
Resources:
-> Joint conclusions , Published in EPA Flash News issued by the Directorate General for Trade, European Commission on 13 March 2008

* Event: SADC-EC Trade Ministers EPA Meeting, Gaborone
Date: 4 March 2008
Trade Ministers from the SADC EPA States, and the European Trade Commissioner met in Gaborone on 4 March 2008 to take stock of the progress of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations, including notably the initialling of an Interim EPA at the end of 2007 between five SADC EPA Member States and the EC. The meeting served to provide political impetus and guidance for the remaining steps in the negotiation process, notably the conclusion of a full EPA by 31 December 2008 .
Resources:
-> Joint declaration

* Event: 25th meeting of ACP-EU economic and social interest groups, Brussels
Date: 4-6 March 2008
The agenda includes a review of the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) and perspectives for the future as well as the role of civil society in the negotiations and in the implementation of EPAs.
Keynote speakers will comprise Mr Dimitriadis, President of the EESC, Mr Michel, EU Commissioner for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, Ms Kinnock, Co-President of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Mr Manservisi, Director General of DG Development and Mr Falkenberg, Deputy Director General of DG Trade.
Resources:
-> Programme EN FR
-> Final declaration EN FR
-> Webpage with speeches and pictures

* Event: EC-ESA EPA Trade Ministerial Meeting, Lusaka , Zambia
Date: 3 March 2008
Resources:
-> Joint conclusions , published in EPA Flash News issued by the Directorate General for Trade, European Commission on 6 March 2008

-> * ESA Senior Officials Meeting on EPAs, Lusaka, 28 February 2008 : Report of the meeting in the e-comesa newsletter, Issue 143, 29 February 2008

* Event: European Parliament Development Committee
Date: 3 March 2008
The Committee discussed an upcoming EC communication on regional integration in ACP countries.
Resources:
-> Agenda point 12: Exchange of views with Mr Stefano Manservisi, Director- General, DG DEV, European Commission, on the Commissions work programme and on regional int egration, transcript of the meeting by Europe External Policy Advisors (EEPA)

* Event: Pacific Regional Consultative Workshop of the All ACP Agricultural Commodities Programme, Apia , Samoa
Date: 27-29 February 2008
Resources:
-> Agenda
-> Aide Memoire
-> Background documents

* Event: Inter Regional Coordinating Committee (IRCC), Nairobi
Date: 25-26 February 2008
The Inter Regional Coordinating Committee (IRCC) composed of COMESA, the East African Community (EAC), the Indian Ocean Community (IOC) and the Intergovernmental Authority on development( IGAD) held its 14 th meeting, which addressed regional development support for EPAs under the EDF.
Resources:
-> Report of the meeting in the e-comesa newsletter, Issue 143, 29 February 2008

* Evénement: Première réunion du UEMOA-CEDEAO Comité de Pilotage Elargi du Programme Indicatif Régional (PIR) 9ème FED/UEMOA/CEDEAO
Date: 18-20 février 2008
Reunion du Comité de Pilotage Régional Elargi: Outre les représentants de l'UEMOA, de la CEDEAO, de l'Union Européenne, du secteur privé et de la société civile, ont pris part aux travaux le Ministre de l'Economie et des Finances de la Mauritanie et le Ministre Délégué aux Finances et du Développement Economique de la Sierra Leone.
Ressources:
-> Rapport dans le Bulletin Hebdomadaire de l'UEMOA, N° 193, 25 février – 2 mars 2008

-> Réunion du Comité de Pilotage Régional au niveau de l'UEMOA : * Réunion du Comité de Pilotage Régional (CPR) du Programme de Restructuration et de Mise à Niveau de l'Industrie des Etats membres de l'UEMOA, Ouagadougou , 11 - 12 février 2008: Rapport dans le Bulletin Hebdomadaire de l'UEMOA, N° 192, 11 -17 février 2008

* Event: Meeting of the Africa Trade Network, Cape Town , South Africa
Date: 22 February 2008
Resources:
-> Declaration of civil society organisations : “Call to action against Europe 's aggressive economic agenda in Africa ”, 22 February 2008 , bilaterals.org

* Event: SADC Workshop on Services and Investment in EPA Negotiations, Cape Town , South Africa
Date: 20-22 February 2008
The European Commission and the Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa (Tralac) organised a SADC/EC Workshop on Services and Investment on 20-22 February 2008 in Cape Town , South Africa . Participants included SADC and EC negotiators as well as civil society and business representatives from both regions.
Resources:
-> Agenda
-> Presentations
-> Summary of the workshop by Paul Kruger and JB Cronje, tralac

* Event: Extraordinary session of the Ministerial Monitoring Committee (MMC), Nouakchott , Mauritania
Date: 21 February 2008
ECOWAS Ministers on Thursday, 21st February 2008 in Nouakchott reaffirmed their resolve to conclude a comprehensive, development-oriented and mutually beneficial Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union.
They also reiterated their commitment to the development dimension of the EPA, which should translate into effective implementation of programmes that address the region's development and resource mobilization concerns.
Resources:
-> Press release , ECOWAS
-> see below for further documents in French:

* Evénement: Réunion Extraordinaire du Comité Ministériel de Suivi des Négociations APE, Nouakchott, Mauritanie
Date: 21 février 2008
Les Ministres de la CEDEAO ont confirmé leur volonté de conclure avec l'Union Européenne un Accord de Partenariat Economique (APE) global, porteur de développement et mutuellement avantageux.
Ils ont réaffirmé leur attachement à la dimension développement de l'APE qui devra se traduire par la mise en place effective de programmes qui répondent aux préoccupations de la région en matière de développement et de mobilisation des ressources suffisantes pour leur financement.
Ressources:
-> Résume publié par la CEDEAO
-> Communiqué de presse , CEDEAO
-> Déclaration , publié par Hub rural
-> Relevé de conclusions , publié par Hub rural
-> Rapport final de la Réunion des Experts , 19 février 2008, publié par Hub rural
-> Chronogramme des activités pour la poursuite des négociations APE , Afrique de l'Ouest, publié par la CEDEAO

* Event: Workshop "The CARIFORUM-EC Economic Partnership Agreement : A First Look at Opportunities and Challenges", Brussels
Date: 13 February 2008
Workshop organized by the European Commission as part of the Civil Society Dialogue
Resources:
-> Agenda and list of participants , published by the European Commission
-> Presentation by Errol HUMPHREY, Ambassador of Barbados & Vice-Dean of the CARIFORUM College of EPA Negotiators
-> Presentation by F. Cuello, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to Belgium and the EU and CARIFORUM Lead Negotiator for Services and Investment
-> Presentation by Lorand Bartels, University Lecturer in International Law and Fellow of Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge

* Event: COMESA Ministerial Task Forces on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and the Customs Union, Lusaka
Date: 10-11 February 2008
The Ministerial Task Forces on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and the Customs Union (CU) met in Lusaka, Zambia from 10th to 11th February 2008 following its establishment by the Twenty Fourth Meeting of the COMESA Council of Ministers on 26th November 2007. The objective of the Meetings was to review progress and provide necessary political guidance on EPAs and the launch of the Customs Union.
Ressources:
-> Conclusions of the meeting published in the e-comesa newsletter No. 141, 15 February 2008

* Event: Workshop on Trade Negotiations and Pro-poor Services Reforms in Africa, Kampala, Uganda
Date: 4-8 February 2008
The workshop organised by ILEAP marks the start of a process aimed at facilitating a number of medium-term objectives on services negotiations in 2008. The primary objective of this process is to assist African stakeholders identify their potential offensive and defensive interests in selected services sectors and modes of supply and translate these into well-informed negotiating positions.
Ressources:
-> Webpage providing Agenda, Aide Memoire, Summary Meeting Report, Participants List and Presentations

* Event: 10th African Union Summit, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Date: 25 January – 2 February 2008
The role of the African Union in coordinating and monitoring the EPA process in the different African negotiating regions was underlined in several documents adopted in the context of the 10th AU Summit in Addis Ababa .
Resources:
-> Declaration on EPAs, Assembly of the African Union, 2 February 2008 (provisional version, see page 34 for the declaration on EPAs)
-> Decision on EPAs, Executive Council of the African Union, 29 January 2008 (see page 32 for the decision on EPAs)
Ahead of the African Union Summit , the African Union (AU) and the Regional Economic Communities (REC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen their cooperation. EPAs were addressed in this context.
-> African Union signs MoU with the Regional Economic Communities, press release, African Union, 28 January 2008 EN FR
Three RECs signed the same MoU on 28 January:
-> Signing of an MoU on the relationship between the African Union, CENSAD, ECOWAS and IGAD , press release, African Union, 29 January 2008 EN FR

* Event: European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson speaking to the European Parliament Development Committee
Date: 28 January 2008
Mandelson gave an update of the EPA negotiations, outlining the benefits of agreements reached and describing next steps to take in terms of signature and ratification, WTO notification as well as further negotiations towards comprehensive EPAs.
Resources:
-> Full speech , European Commission, 28 January 2008
-> Press report on the meeting: Africans Stuck With EU Deals , David Cronin, IPS, 29 January 2008

 

Check our website for more events and resources!  http://www.acp-eu-trade.org

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