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The acp-eu-trade.org newsletter -- No. 22/October 2008 
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In this issue:
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I. Trade Negotiations Insights Vol.7, No.8
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II. News: Highlights of the month
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III. Selection from the acp-eu-trade.org Library
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IV. Resources from Recent Events
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V. Resources on Upcoming Events

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Dear readers,

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

Please find below a collection of press articles of the past month and a selection of new documents in the acp-eu-trade.org library. As usual, we also provide some resources on recent and upcoming events relevant to ACP-EU trade relations.

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: Corinna Braun-Munzinger (cbm@ecdpm.org) and Stéphanie Colin (sco@ecdpm.org)

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I. Trade Negotiations Insights Vol.7, No.7
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The October 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. 8, October 2008
• To sign or not to sign? The Caribbean dilemma
• CARIFORUM’S decision to sign the EPA
• Breaking the mould:Guyana and a ‘goods only’ Caribbean EPA
• A ‘Green Revolution’ for Africa
• Responding to Africa’s agricultural challenges:the need for new paradigms in aid, trade and science
• Implications of the CARIFORUM EPA provisions on trade in services: recommendations for Southern Africa
• EU banana dispute:a view from Costa Rica
• The 2010 revision of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement Getting over those Doha blues
• WTO Roundup
• EPA Update
• Calendar and resources

Eclairage sur les Négociations , Vol.7, No.8, octobre 2008
• Signer ou ne pas signer ? Le dilemme des Caraïbes
• Le CARIFORUM décide de signer l’APE
• Briser le moule : Guyana et un APE caribéen « sur les marchandises uniquement »
• Une ‘Révolution verte’ pour l’Afrique
• Relever les défi s agricoles de l’Afrique : le besoin de nouveaux paradigmes pour l’aide, le commerce et les sciences
• Implications des dispositions sur le commerce et les services dans l’APE du CARIFORUM : recommandations pour l’Afrique australe
• Le différend de la banane de l’UE : un point de vue du Costa Rica
• Révision en 2010 de l’Accord de partenariat de Cotonou Se remettre du blues de Doha
• Aperçu sur l’OMC
• Le point sur les APE
• Calendrier et publications

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II. News: Highlights
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** All-ACP **

* NEPAD and Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) launch the Observatory on Regional Integration in Africa
African Press Organization ( APO ), ECA Press Release No. 26/2008, 28 October 2008
The Observatory is a Web-based, user-friendly source of knowledge and information on regional integration in Africa , which is embedded in the ECA Knowledge Management platform. It is a primary source of information to assist policy makers, member States, RECs, and all stakeholders with timely and relevant information on current progress, challenges and issues on regional integration in Africa .

* After Caricom signed
BBC, 21 October 2008
Almost one week after Caricom signed the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe , there is a call for for regional solidarity in the trade negotiations. […] The call from the Pacific region of the ACP reflects wider interest in the controversial Caribbean debate over its EPA signing last week. All but two Caricom member states signed the trade deal on October 15, after months of intense negotiation and debate on the benefits of the EPA to the region.

* EU finance for boosting trade capacity in developing countries reaches almost €1billion in 2005-07
European Commission, 15 October 2008
The European Union has presented to the World Trade Organization an overview of the 99 trade facilitation projects financed globally by the EU between 2005-2007. The review shows that the EU has spent almost a billion euros over this period funding capacity building, technical assistance and infrastructure projects such as ports and roads in developing countries. These projects are united by the common intention to boost the recipient country's trade infrastructure and ability to benefit from trade and open global markets.

* Banana traders to focus on regional markets
Dorothy Nakaweesi, Monitor, 14 October 2008
Experts have called on banana traders to take advantage of local and regional markets as European countries open their markets to imports from Latin America. The experts at the just concluded Africa International Banana Conference held in Mombasa, Kenya, last week, said this move will boost production and incomes of the poor.

* Red Faces Over EPAs Red Herring
David Cronin, IPS, 14 October 2008
Senior European Union officials have admitted being embarrassed at how the bloc's own procedures are delaying them from signing economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with Africa. David O'Sullivan, the Commission's director-general for trade, confessed on October 13 at a hearing at the European Parliament that the delays were ‘‘very worrying''. He blamed the holdup on demands by the European Union's governments that the accords be translated into the Union's 23 official languages.

* OATUU opposes EPA
Stephen Odoi-Larbi, Ghanaian Chronicle / Modern Ghana News, 8 October 2008
The Organisation of African Trade Unions Unity (OATUU) has joined in the crusade against the signing of the EPA, stating several claims which it believed would cripple the economies of member countries, if they go ahead to sign the agreement. The OATUU, according to a statement issued in Accra , and signed by its General Secretary, Hassan A. Sunmonu, said any genuine negotiations between the two entities (ACP/EU) should be based on equality of the negotiating partners. It described the current negotiation, between the ACP and EU, as that between the donkey and rider, which it believed was not in the interest of the former.

* Commissioner Mandelson resigns to join UK government, Baroness Ashton of Upholland nominated to succeed him
European Commission, 3 October 2008
The member of the Commission responsible for trade, Peter Mandelson, has today submitted his resignation to the Commission President, José Manuel Barroso. Mr Mandelson resigns to accept the invitation by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to join the government.

* EPA Negotiations is dividing our rank - Secretary General ACP
Ghanaweb.com, 2 October 2008
Mr John Kaputin, Secretary General of the African Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP), has expressed regret about the divisive nature of the EPA process "Addressing all contentious issues will smooth the way for the successful conclusion of the EPA process and produce an agreement that will be embraced by both sides," he told the opening session of the sixth Summit of the ACP Heads of State and Government in Accra.

 

** Caribbean **

* The EPA has been signed
Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, Press Release No. 12/2008, 16 October 2008
Member States of the Caribbean Forum of African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States (CARIFORUM) and the European Community (EC) assembled in Barbados at the Sherbourne Conference Centre yesterday October 15, 2008 to commemorate the beginning of a new chapter in the history of their economic relationship by signing of the CARIFORUM-EC Economic Partnership Agreement. […]Ambassador Gill [Director-General of the CRNM] expressed that the Implementation of the Agreement will be a difficult task and will certainly be more difficult than the negotiations. He further explained that national implementation units which will be charged with the responsibility of carrying out national EPA implementation plans must be quickly established. He also opined, that the private sector should also devise their own implementation plans.
-> see also:
* Guyana becomes 14th signatory to the CARIFORUM-EC EPA
Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, Press Release No. 13/2008, 20 October 2008
Today, Monday October 20, 2008, the Head of Mission of Guyana to the European Community (EC), H.E. Ambassador Patrick Gomes, appended his signature to the Agreement on behalf of the Government of Guyana at the Headquarters of the Council of the European Union in Brussels. The Government of Haiti, which is addressing national hurricane recovery priorities, has requested more time to review the EPA.
-> see also below: Resources from Recent Events
* Caribbean EPA faces rejection by the European Parliament if it fails to promote development: "EPAs must be development friendly," say socialists
The Socialist Group in the European Parliament (PSE), 15 October 2008
An EU agreement with Caribbean countries signed in Barbados Wednesday 15 October faces rejection by the European Parliament if it fails to promote development. Euro MP David Martin, who will draft the European Parliament recommendation to accept or reject the deal, warned that "it is crucially important for these agreements to promote the development and regional integration. The Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) must work for the best interests of our partner countries.

* UK Trade and Development Minister announces $78m funding for the Caribbean
Caribbean Net News, 15 October 2008
UK Minister for Trade and Development Gareth Thomas has announced on behalf of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) a £46 million (US$78 million) package to help the Caribbean develop more effective ways to trade with Europe and the rest of the world. […]£10 million has been earmarked for a regional development fund to help the area develop a single market economy - a larger EU style domestic market which will be crucial in delivering growth and making local businesses more competitive internationally. Businesses in Guyana will benefit from a new regional challenge fund that is being designed by DFID to support private sector development, to support new products and services and to stimulate new investment.

* Today's EPA signing event
Rickey Singh, Trinidad Express, 15 October 2008
A significant development since last month's decision by 13 of the 15 CARIFORUM countries (Caricom plus Dominican Republic) to sign the text of the EPA as initialled by officials of the European Commission (EC) and the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) was the crafting of a joint declaration for release today, as a direct result of an initiative by Guyana to secure some precise understanding to avoid problems for the region's economic integration movement. One such condition was a consensus for mandatory review of the EPA every five years starting from the date of signing; and secondly, that conflict arising from implementation of the EPA would avoid undermining the Caricom Treaty as it relates to the Single Market and Economy (CSME).

* Jagdeo tells ACP of ‘anti-development' nature of EU trade deal
Starbroek News, 6 October 2008
President Bharrat Jagdeo in a message to the summit of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states in Ghana, on Thursday said that Guyana is unhappy about the proposed EU trade deal's “anti-developmental character and its propensity to be inimical to Caribbean integration.” And pointing to areas of concern President Jagdeo expressed displeasure over what he referred to as the “inclusion of ‘services' and the ‘Singapore issues' in the Caribbean Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the MFN (Most Favoured Nations) clause (which will impair South-South cooperation) and the absence of provisions to address supply side deficiencies.”

* Europe's ploys to secure EPA signing coming to light
Ronald Sanders, The Jamaica Observer, 5 October 2008
The following is an official exchange between a member of the European Parliament, David Martin, and the EC:
"Question: With reference to the statement by the First Secretary of the Commission office in Jamaica, as reported in the Jamaica Gleaner on August 29, can the commission confirm that the Regulation governing the preferential access to the EU market for Cariforum countries will not expire but that a decision would be needed by the council before the regulation could be withdrawn?
Answer from commission: The commission can confirm that Council Regulation 1528/2007 OJ L 348, 31.12.2007 has no expiry date and can only be repealed by a Council Decision".

 

** West Africa **

* EU and West African negotiators hold meetings in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 20-24 October
EPA Flash News, European Commission, 29 October 2008
European and West African negotiators held EPA meetings at technical and seniro officials level in Ougadougou ( Burkina Faso ) from 20 to 24 October 2008 . ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions represented the West Africans. They continued negotiations over a joint EPA text and made progress in particular on the text on trade in goods which includes trade defence instruments, sanitary and phytosanitary rules, technical barriers to trade and trade facilitation.

* Common External Tariff Ready Jan 2009
Franklin Alli, Vanguard / allAfrica.com, 13 October 2008
Franklin Alli reports that the much anticipated uniform tariffs for ECOWAS region will likely become a reality from January 2009, as harmonisation of the Common External Tariff (CET) between Nigeria and other member States is almost wrapped up.
The long awaited Common External Tariff (CET), all things being equal, may come to fruition as early as January 2009, so said the Minister of Finance, Dr. Shamssudeen Usman.

* Top Ghanaian Economist Okays EPAs
Wisdom Dzidedi Donkor, Public Agenda / allAfrica.com, 6 October 2008
The Director for Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA), Dr. Joseph Abbey has called on the government to take the "bull by the horn" and sign the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) since it would strengthen capacity of local enterprises to compete both locally and internationally.

* Kadré Désiré Ouédraogo, ambassadeur du Burkina à Bruxelles : “En dehors des Caraïbes, les ACP ne sont pas prêts pour les APE”
S. Nadoun Coulibaly, lefaso.net, 7 octobre 2008
[…] En dehors des Caraïbes, aucune autre des six régions ACP n'est en ce moment, prête pour signer les APE. Les pays ACP pensent que certaines composantes essentielles de la dimension développement ne sont pas encore prises en compte dans les textes des accords proposés. Et c'est normal que ceux-ci veuillent s'assurer que leurs préoccupations seront prises en compte avant de conclure un APE complet. Le calendrier varie selon les régions, je sais que la région Afrique de l'Ouest est activement occupée à négocier avec l'UE pour parvenir à un accord mutuellement bénéfique. Pour les ACP, l'important est que les APE soient avant tout un instrument de développement. Les négociations sont en cours avec nos partenaires et nous espérons parvenir à des accords acceptés par les deux parties. […]

 

** Central Africa **

* The Council of the European Union adopted a decision authorizing signature and provisional application of the Central Africa-EU stepping stone EPA: EN FR

 

** ESA **

* 26 African countries form single market
Alfred Wandera, Joseph Olanyo and Grace Matsiko, Monitor Online, 23 October 2008
The first Tripartite Summit ended in Kampala yesterday with leaders from 26 African countries belonging to the three regional economic blocs in East and southern Africa resolving to merge the blocs into a single regional market. […] The African leaders, who directed the tripartite task force to develop a roadmap for the implementation of this merger within six months, noted that the union is yet another step towards the attainment of the African Economic Community.
-> see also below, Resources from Recent Events

* East Africa MPs Want Region to Turn Away From EPAs
Francis Ayieko, The East African / allAfrica.com, 12 October 2008
Speaking during the 4th Annual Inter-Parliamentary Relations Seminar in Kigali , Rwanda on October 1-3, the parliamentarians declared that the EPA Framework Agreement that was initialled between the EAC and EU last November was a raw deal and poorly negotiated. They are now demanding that they be involved in EPA and EAC Common Market negotiations. At the seminar, the parliamentarians resolved that the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and the national parliaments engage EPA negotiators -- ministers and technocrats -- to register their concerns before the final signing of the Comprehensive EPA Agreement. Their concerns included the issues of a development chapter, flexibility and exceptions in market access, periodic reviews, specific reviews, dispute settlements, a proper approach to the Singapore issues and relevant institutions.

* Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles awarded temporary derogations from EU rules of origin for fish
Liam Campling, FFA Fisheries Trade Briefing, Vol. 1, Issue 10, September 2008
Under the terms of the RoO protocol of the East and Southern Africa interim EPA, the ESA region was allocated the same volume of automatic derogation for canned tuna (8,000mt) and tuna loins (2,000mt) as that awarded to the entire ACP group under the Cotonou Agreement. […] The RoO Protocol in the Interim EPA will only come into force when the Agreement is signed. Using the justification that ‘catches and supply of originating raw tuna have decreased in the South West Indian Ocean' which ‘makes it impossible for Mauritius [Madagascar and the Seychelles] to comply with the rules of origin', these three ESA states made requests for temporary derogations from EU RoO.

* The ACP bloc should abandon the EPA negotiations
Finnigan Wa Simbeye, This Day, 9 October 2008
In his speech at the summit, [the Tanzanian Prime Minister] Mr Pinda accused the EU of disintegrating ACP countries by fragmenting them into several regional blocs including the recently carved, East African Community (EAC) bloc to which Tanzania belongs.

* Zambia joins Economic Partnership Agreement with EU
European Commission, 1 October 2008
The European Union and Zambia yesterday paved the way for Zambia to fully join the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and the Eastern and Southern African ( ESA ) region. Zambian and EU representatives initialled Zambia 's final market access offer in the context of the interim EPA that had been initialled at the end of 2007. Representatives from the regional organisation Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) were also present at the initialling ceremony. The offer will now be integrated into the EU- ESA interim deal, a move which secures full access to the EU market for Zambian products. […]When the interim EPA was initialled in 2007, Zambia initialled the text but did not conclude negotiations on a market access offer. As a result, the country was not included in the EPA market access regulation which keeps the EU market open to imports from African, Caribbean and Pacific ( ACP ) countries which have initialled full or interim EPAs.

* Experts Meet on Sensitive Products and Tariff Alignment
e-COMESA newsletter, Issue 173, 26 September 2008
Trade and Customs Policy experts have been meeting in Lusaka from 22nd to 27th September 2008 to make final preparations on the Common External Tariff (CET) ahead of the launch of the COMESA Customs Union. They are reviewing and agreeing on all tariff lines (about 6,000) of the CET, ahead of the launch of the Customs Union scheduled for December 2008.

 

** SADC **

* Namibia: Country Remains Steadfast on EPA Concerns
Brigitte Weidlich, The Namibian, 21 October 2008
The Namibian trade negotiating team has pinned its hopes on the newly appointed EU Trade Commissioner, Baroness Catherine Ashton, during the next round of talks next month to convince the European Commission (EC) to adapt the economic partnership agreements (EPAs) to accommodate Namibia 's concerns.

* Process of region building linked with trends in politics
JB Cronjé, tralac, 1 October 2008
The political landscape in South Africa changed over the course of the last week with the resignation of the President. Consequently a new President, Kgalema Motlanthe, was elected by the National Assembly and inaugurated. In his first address to the National Assembly on September 25, the President assured “all those on our continent and in the world that we will continue to meet our international obligations” and that the new government “will continue to play a positive role within international institutions and forums”. This may well be true but a shift in policy emphasis will in all probability occur. Domestic concerns are likely to take priority over international including regional affairs, because of the deep divisions within the governing party and fact that the next general election is schedule to take place in the next six months.

 

** Pacific **

* Pacific ACP states committed to continue negotiating EPA with EU as single region
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, press statement 116/08, 24 October 2008
The Pacific ACP States have reaffirmed their commitment to continue the negotiations of an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) “as a single region” based on existing negotiating positions as agreed last March. At the two-day PACP Trade Ministers Meeting (PACPTMM) held in Nadi, Fiji 20 – 21 October, the Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to conclude the negotiations as a unified region and their support for the efforts made to date by PACP Officials supported by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS).
-> see also:
* Integrity of Pacific ACP States needs to be protected in EPA
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, press statement 113/08, 20 October 2008
The new Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Tuiloma Neroni Slade has called on Pacific ACP Trade Ministers to protect the integrity of the positions of the PACP States and retain the unity of the Group in the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union.
-> see also:
* Pacific ACP Trade Ministers to consider recent developments in EPA negotiations with the EU as well as other trade-related is sues
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, press statement 107/08, 9 October 2008

* European Commission and Pacific countries hold EPA negotiations in Brussels
EPA Flash News, European Commission, 30 September 2008
European Commission and Pacific ACP (PACP) countries' representatives held a Joint Technical Working Group meeting in Brussels from 18th to 26th September. It was in practice the second round re-launching the comprehensive EPA negotiations since November 2007. PACP reiterated their position that they did not want to negotiate services, IPR and government procurement in the comprehensive EPA at this stage. The Commission maintained that services should be an integral part of the agreement and that we are open for a flexible, differentiated approach if some PACP wanted to make commitments in these areas. No consensus was found. Pacific Trade Ministers will meet mid October and take a position on this.
Issues addressed during the meetings included trade in goods (in particular infant industry, export taxes, Most Favoured Nation clause, customs co-operation and rules of origin), fisheries, dispute settlement and some trade-related areas such as environment, social aspects and competition. Progress has been made although some areas need further discussion. The Parties agreed to proceed on the basis of a jointly agreed text and to work with electronic communications. No date for next round has been set, it will be decided when sufficient progress has been achieved via e-mail exchanges.
PACP have not presented any Market Access offers at this round, even though they showed interest in the trade in goods, especially in the relaxed rules of origin for fisheries products.

 

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III. Selection from the acp-eu-trade.org Library
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* Agreement establishing a framework for an Economic Partnership Agreement between the East African Community Partner States, on the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, on the other part , initialled on 27 November 2007, published by the Council of the European Union, annex to the proposal for a Council decision on the signature and provisional application of the agreement, 16 October 2008
-> Protocol 1 concerning the definition of the concept of "originating products" and methods of administrative cooperation
-> Customs duties applicable on imports into Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda of products originating in the EC part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5

* Fact sheets on the CARIFORUM-EU EPA by the European Commission, October 2008 :
•  Summary
•  Introduction
•  Trade in goods
•  Trade in services
•  Investment
•  Development support
•  Innovation and intellectual property
•  Public Procurement
•  Competition

* Fact sheet on Aid for Trade
European Commission, 1 October 2008
The present fact sheet prepared by the Commission's services provides answers to questions and concerns raised by the European Parliament in relation to the EU policy on Aid for Trade (AfT) and Trade-related Assistance (TRA). It pays special attention to the matter of financing EC Aid for Trade, showing that it is funded through the different Community financial instruments -without drawing on earmarked budget items- and mobilised through the usual processes and procedures applying to EC development assistance as for all other Official development assistance (ODA).

* Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on regional integration for development in ACP countries
European Commission, 1 October 2008 (revised on 6 October 2008)
This Communication provides an updated, comprehensive and consistent EU vision of regional integration as a key mechanism for the sustainable development of ACP countries, articulates the role of regional political and policy cooperation, and calls on Member States to rally around a shared vision and common principles.
EN FR

* Economic Partnerships between Africa and the European Union: What to do now?
Summary Report, World Bank, October 2008
This report addresses the question raised in its title: now that 18 interim EPAs have been initialed and negotiations of full EPAs have been launched, what should African countries and regional EPA-groups do? Part II of the report analyzes the outcome of the EPA negotiations thus far, the interim EPAs' implications for the trade and related policies of participating African countries, and the reforms required for successful implementation of interim EPAs. Part III examines the potential role of full EPAs, in advancing regional trade integration, open trade policies, and the liberalization of trade in services and foreign direct investment in Africa.

* Economic Partnership Agreements and The Future of the ACP Group
Sanoussi Bilal and Aurélie Walker, ECDPM, 22 September 2008
Background Note for the 6th ACP Summit of Heads of State and Government 2-3 October, Accra, Ghana
This paper discusses the impact of the EPA negotiations and conclusion of (interim) agreements on the cohesion and role of the ACP Group in the future. It also considers two other important dates in the CPA which also call the ACP Group to examine its future role: the CPA revision in 2010 and the CPA expiry in 2020.

* Dialogue of the deaf- An assessment of Europe's developmental approach to trade negotiations
Christina Weller, ICCO, September 2008
In trade negotiations, the European Union presents itself as an ally of developing countries – sensitive to their concerns and looking out for shared interests as a partner in talks. Nowhere has this rhetoric been loftier than in EPA negotiations. The aim of this research is to test how far Europe's negotiators are living up to these professed objectives. On behalf of ICCO, a representative sample of African Caribbean and Pacific ( ACP ) negotiators was asked to judge whether or not European negotiators had lived up to the rhetoric surrounding the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) talks.

* The European Union Economic Partnership Agreements with Sub-Saharan Africa
Alice Sindzingre, UNU-CRIS Working Paper, September 2008
Section 1 of this paper briefly assesses the theoretical justification for trade liberalisation and regionalism, as well as the current expansion of regional agreements. Section 2 analyses the EPAs and the constraints they face in Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular the economic constraints that weigh on African countries, commodity dependence, the rising impact of China, poor infrastructure, the institutional and political economy problems, and other trade arrangements implemented by African countries, in particular the ‘North-South' ones offered by the EU and the US. Section 3 analyses the benefits and losses created by EPAS and likely economic outcomes, which appear to depend on the specific conditions of countries, sectors and products, and to be very uncertain.

 

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IV. Resources from Recent Events
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* Event: 14th ECOWAS-EU Ministerial Troika Meeting, Ouagadougou
Date: 23 October 2008
Resources:
-> Final communiqué

* Event: COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Summit , Kampala
Date: 20 October 2008
Resources:
-> Final communiqué
-> Press release , EAC Secretariat, 22 October 2008

*Event: Signing ceremony of the CARIFORUM-EC EPA, Bridgetown
Date: 15 October 2008
Resources:
-> Press release , European Commission, 15 October 2008
-> Press release , Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery, 16 October 2008
-> Information page on the CARIFORUM-EU EPA by the European Commission , including the text of the agreement and fact sheets on the EPA
-> Information page by the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery , including the text of the agreement and CRNM Briefs on the EPA
-> Speech by European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas
-> Address by UK Minister Gareth Thomas
-> Feature Address by The Hon. Christopher Sinckler M.P Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and International Business of Barbados
-> Address by H.E. Mr. Edwin Carrington, Secretary General, CARIFORUM
On Guyana:
-> Draft joint statement by the signatory CARIFORUM States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, on the signature of the CARIFORUM-EC EPA, addressing the concerns of Guyana, published by the Council of the European Union EN FR
-> Guyana becomes 14th signatory to the CARIFORUM-EC EPA , Press release, Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM), 20 October 2008

* Event: African Workshop on Economic Partnership Agreements – Reaping the benefits of the EPAs, UNECA, Addis-Ababa
Date: 8-10 October 2008
Resources:
-> Press release , published by African Press Organisation, 29 September 2008

* Event: 6th Summit of the ACP Heads of State and Government, Accra
Date: 30 September – 3 October 2008
Resources:
-> Website of the summit
-> Decision No. 1/VI/SUMMIT/2008 on Economic Partnership Agreement
-> Accra Declaration EN FR
-> Agenda EN FR
-> President Kufuor says EPAs divide ACP , ACP Press Statement 3, 2 October 2008
-> ACP Leaders opt for Free Trade Areas in ACP regions , ACP Press Statement 7, 10 October 2008

* Event: SACU Aid for Trade workshop, Windhoek
Date: 8-9 September 2008
Resources:
-> Press release , SACU Secretariat

 

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V. Resources on Upcoming Events
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* Event: EU-Central Africa Technical and Senior Official negotiations, Libreville
Date: 27 October – 1 November 2008

* Event: OECD Policy Dialogue on Aid for Trade, Paris
Date: 3-4 November 2008
Resources:
-> Conference webpage

* Event: SADC – EC Technical and Senior Officials negotiations, Brussels
Date: 3-7 November 2008

* Event: CTA/ECDPM Workshop on ‘Strengthening Agricultural Trade Strategies: towards a Caribbean agenda'', Belize City
Date: 6-8 November 2008
Resources:
-> Conference webpage

* Event: EAC-EC Technical and Senior Officials negotiations
Date: Week of 10 November 2008

* Event: EU General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting with development ministers, Brussels
Date: 10-11 November 2008
Resources:
-> Calendar on the website of the French EU Presidency EN FR

* Event: SADC – EU Ministerial Troika, Brussels
Date: 11 November 2008
Resources:
-> Calendar on the website of the French EU Presidency EN FR

* Event: Africa Investment Forum, Gauteng , Johannesburg , South Africa
Date: 18-19 November 2008
The Forum organised by the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) provides a platform to bring investors and projects together to enhance African trade and investment, and to build new business partnerships. Discussions will include Strengthening Transport Infrastructure and Trading in single SADC Market.
Resources:
-> Register at: http://www.cbcglobal.org

* Event: COMESA Investor Conference. Brussels
Date: 18-19 November 2008
Resources:
-> Information on the website of the ACP Business Climate facility

* Event: AU – EU Ministerial Troika, Dar es Salaam
Date: 20-21 November 2008
Resources:
-> Website on the Africa and Europe Partnership

* Event: 16th session of the ACP – EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA), Port Morseby
Date: 24-28 November 2008
Preceded by the 14th session of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly
Resources:
-> Agenda and background documents on the JPA website EN FR

* Event: SAIIA/ECDPM conference on “Regional Economic Integration in Southern Africa : Beyond EPAs; Surviving Internal Fragmentation”, Johannesburg
Date: 25-26 November 2008

* Event: Meeting of Heads of ACP regional organizations, Brussels
Date: 4-5 December 2008

* Event: 13th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit , Victoria Falls
Date: 7-8 December 2008
Preceded by Policy Organs Meetings on 25 November – 5 December 2008
Resources:
-> Press release, COMESA

 

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

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