****************************************************************************
The acp-eu-trade.org newsletter -- No. 27/March 2009
****************************************************************************
In this issue:
= = = = = = =
I. Trade Negotiations Insights Vol.8, No.2
---
II. News: Highlights of the month
---
III. Selection from the acp-eu-trade.org Library
---
IV. Resources from Recent Events
---
V. Resources on Upcoming Events
= = = = = = =
Dear readers,
Welcome to the March issue of the acp-eu-trade.org newsletter!
Below you will find a link to the March issue of Trade Negotiations Insights, a collection of press articles published during the past month and a selection of recently added 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:
- Registering on-line as a trade and development expert to help mobilise the best expertise in ACP-EU trade and development matters and give interested parties easier access to information on relevant internationally recognized experts or consultants;
- Submitting relevant background and policy documents, news and links that will enrich the ACP-EU trade debate;
- Subscribing to our monthly newsletter as well as other partners' to be kept informed of latest developments in the ACP-EU trade realm;
- Sharing your views on the current ACP-EU Trade debate and providing feedback on the relevance and future focus areas of www.acp-eu-trade.org
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)
I. Trade Negotiations Insights Vol.8, No.2
The March 2009 issue of Trade Negotiations Insights (TNI), a joint monthly publication by ICTSD and ECDPM, is available online at: www.ictsd.org/tni/index.htm and www.acp-eu-trade.org/tni
Trade Negotiations Insights, Vol. 8, No. 2, March 2009
• Commission to Authority: Shifting the African Union balance of power
• Editorial & News and publications In brief
• The EU’s cock-eyed approach to trade and governance
• Predicting Obama’s Africa policy: The proof of the pudding is in the eating
• Why EPA negotiations have slowed: The Central African perspective
• EPA negotiations with Central Africa: The state of play
• EPA General Exceptions undermine WTO negotiations on commodities
• Building bridges: Supporting services negotiations in the East African EPA
• WTO Roundup
• EPA Negotiations update
• Calendar and resources
Eclairage sur les Négociations, Vol.8, No.2, mars 2009
• D’une Commission à une Autorité : modification de l’équilibre des pouvoirs au sein de l’Union Africaine
• Éditorial & Nouvelles et Publications En bref
• L’approche de l’UE en matière de commerce et de gouvernance ne tient pas debout
• Prédire la politique africaine d’Obama: Voir c’est croire
• Pourquoi les négociations de l’APE ont à nouveau tendu vers l’impasse?
• Négociations APE avec l’Afrique centrale: Point de vue européen
• Les exceptions générales des APE sapent les négociations de l’OMC sur les
matières premières
• Tisser des liens : soutenir la négociation des services dans l’APE avec la CAE
• Aperçu sur l’OMC
• Le point sur les négociations APE
• Calendrier et publications
** All-ACP **
* Lamy urges Africa to keep trade open and to keep opening trade
Speech by WTO DG Pascal Lamy, WTO News, 23 March 2009
WTO Director General Pascal Lamy's message to African Union Trade Ministers was "Keep trade open; keep opening trade", when he addressed them in Addis Ababa , on 20 March 2009 .
* Proposal for ACP-EU Heads of States/Governments level consultations on the Economic Partnership agreements (EPAs)
In a letter to the President-in-Office of the Council of the EU, the President-in-Office of the ACP Summit recalls a proposal made at the 6th ACP Summit in October 2008 concerning the need for ACP-EU consultations on EPAs at the highest political level and requests the EU side to propose a suitable date for such a meeting.
-> read the letter from H.E. Prof. John Evans Atta MILLS, President of the Republic of Ghana and President-in-Office of the ACP Summit, to H.E. Mr. Mirek TOPOLANEK, President-in-Office of the Council of the European Union, dated 27 February 2009, published by the Council of the European Union on 17 March 2009
* Africa: Trade Talks Challenge Govts to Practical Action
Nkululeko Khumalo, allAfrica.com, 12 March 2009
The controversial negotiations over trade agreements between the European Union and regional blocs in Africa are challenging governments to rethink the best way of promoting economic integration across the continent. The impact of the agreements will depend on whether governments put their efforts into consolidating existing regional communities, or allow grand plans for integration to become surrogates for action, writes Nkululeko Khumalo of the South African Institute for International Affairs.
* EU offers cuts to banana import duties - draft
Darren Ennis, Reuters, 25 February 2009
The European Union has offered Latin America 's top banana suppliers to initially cut duties on bananas to 148 euros per tonne from 176 euros now to try and end the world's longest-running trade dispute, a draft showed. Under a draft proposal obtained by Reuters, the European Commission -- which oversees trade policy for the 27-nation bloc -- has proposed gradually lowering taxes on banana imports from Latin American countries to 114 euros per tonne by 2016. [...] The EU offers preferential access to its markets for the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, who are mainly former European colonies. African producers, like Cameroon , are particularly annoyed by the EU proposal. But Brussels is trying to find a package of financial aid for ACP banana producing countries to compensate them for any losses to their industry and unlock one of the barriers to a Doha deal.
** Caribbean **
* EU partnership accord with the Caribbean: green light from MEPs, with conditions
Press release, European Parliament, 25 March 2009
The European Parliament gave its assent to the economic partnership agreement between the Cariforum States and the EU. MEPs insist that a real review clause and that extra aid for trade are included in the agreement. The EPA should contribute, through development goals, poverty reduction and respect for fundamental human rights, to the achievement of the MDGs. MEPs voted 460 votes in favour to 82 with 43 abstentions.
-> see also below, Resources from Recent Events
* CARIFORUM Officials to Consider EPA Institutional Arrangements
Press release, CRNM, 25 March 2009
In accordance with a decision taken at the Sixth Meeting of the CARIFORUM Council of Ministers on External Trade Negotiations held in Guyana on March 3, 2009, Legal and Policy Officials of the CARIFORUM States will convene on March 26-27, 2009 in Barbados at the Island Inn to discuss policy matters related to establishing institutional arrangements and to dispute settlement under the CARIFORUM-EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). During their last meeting, the CARIFORUM Council of Ministers mandated that these Officials should make recommendations on appropriate draft Rules of Procedure for the Joint Institutions established under the EPA.
-> see also:
* Communiqué Issued At The Conclusion Of The Twentieth Inter-Sessional Meeting Of The Conference Of Heads Of Government Of The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) 12-13 March 2009, Belize City , Belize
Heads of Government in reaffirming the mandate given to the Secretary-General to coordinate EPA implementation among Member States endorsed the establishment of the Unit to promote EPA Implementation and confirmed that the assistance of the Unit is available to all Caribbean Forum of African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States (CARIFORUM ) signatory to the EPA.
Heads of Government exchanged views with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic , who represented his President, on issues relating to the implementation of the EPA and on his country's relations with the Caribbean Community.
Heads of Government agreed that discussions with the Dominican Republic should be continued with a view to arriving at a consensus on the designation of the CARIFORUM Co-ordinator under the EPA.
and:
* CARICOM Heads of Government committed to early negotiations with Canada
Press release, CARICOM, 23 March 2009
Prime Minister Manning told the media that the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) would now report to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat. Through the Secretariat, the CRNM would report to the Councils of the Community.
-> background : * The Issues before the Conference of Heads of Government at the Twentieth Inter-Sessional Meeting - External Trade , Special RNM Update, 11 March 2009
** West Africa **
* European Parliament gave assent to the Côte d'Ivoire-EC stepping-stone agreement
On 25 March 2009, the European Parliament (by 457 votes in favour to 80 against with 42 abstentions) granted assent to the proposal for a Council decision concluding the stepping stone Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and Côte d'Ivoire, of the other part.
-> see below, Resources from Recent Events
* Espace UEMOA : La crise financière s'impose au Sommet
Bachirou Nana et Alban Kini, lefaso.net, 18 mars 2009
La XIIIe session ordinaire de la conférence des chefs d'Etat et de gouvernement de l'Union économique et monétaire Ouest africaine (UEMOA) tenue, hier mardi 17 mars 2009 à Ouagadougou, a examiné l'état de l'Union et préconisé le renforcement des mesures pour juguler l'impact de la crise financière internationale. [...] Concernant le commerce international, ils ont réaffirmé l'engagement des Etats à tout mettre en oeuvre avec les autres pays de la région Afrique de l'Ouest pour "conclure à la date convenue avec l'Union européenne, un Accord de partenariat économique (APE) régional prenant en compte la dimension développement et à même de favoriser l'ancrage des économies de la région dans l'économie mondiale".
* Ghana: Regional EPA Due in June
Daniel Nonor, allAfrica.com, 4 March 2009
A Regional Economic Partnership Agreement encompassing the West African region is expected to be signed later this year as negotiations are far advanced for a draft agreement in June 2009, and subsequently a full pact by the end of the year. The out going Head of the EU Delegation to Ghana, HE Ambassador Filiberto Ceriani Sebregondi has hinted.
* ECOWAS, ICT sign agreement for capacity building on regional trade
Press release, ECOWAS, 20 February 2009
ECOWAS is among three of Africa's Regional Economic Communities (RECs) to benefit from a five-year $20.2 million comprehensive capacity building programme by the International Trade Centre (ITC) designed to improve the volume of intra-Community trade within the RECs and thus stimulate economic development. According to a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Ouagadougou by Professor Lambert Bamba, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Macroeconomic Policy and Mr. Friedrich von Kirchbach, the Director of Bureau of Policy and Programmes of the ITC, this second phase of the Programme for Building African Capacity for Trade (PACT 11) will bolster regional ntegration by "strengthening the support capacity of relevant regional and national institutions."
** Central Africa **
* Plate-Forme : Les douanes et les entreprises veulent panser les "blessures"
Cameroun Link, 11 mars 2009
La direction générale des Douanes et les opérateurs économiques viennent de créer une plate-forme pour tenter d'apporter (enfin ?) des solutions aux nombreux problèmes qui minent le secteur douanier au Cameroun. [...] Crise financière oblige, le forum se crée dans un contexte dominé par une économie vacillante et l'avènement imminent des Accords de partenariat économique (Ape). Les organisateurs du forum estiment donc qu'il faut un cadre de dialogue simplifié afin de permettre aux opérateurs économiques de décrypter de manière aisé les signaux émis par le système d'incitation et de réagir en conséquence.
* Accords de partenariat économique: Le Cameroun perdra plus de 200 milliards en 12 ans
Mohamadou Houmfa, Journal du Cameroun, 4 mars 2009
L'association pour la sensibilisation sur les accords de partenariat ACP-UE (ASAC) continue de tirer la sonnette d'alarme
L'esprit de la démarche des responsables est simple, tout accord peut-être dénoncé si une partie le veut. C'est pourquoi, l'Asac continue, malgré la signature d'un accord de partenariat économique d'étape le 15 Janvier 2009 par le Cameroun et l'union européenne, d'interpeller les décideurs camerounais. Son président, Docteur Ebale, [...] a rencontré la presse ce mardi 3 Février 2009. [...] Les panélistes réunis autour du président de l'Asac se sont accordés sur le fait que la signature des Ape tels que présentées, en ce moment, constituent un risque énorme pour les pays de l'Afrique Centrale.
* European Commission regulation on imports of fishery products from Cameroon
A ban remains on imports of Cameroon fishery products to the EU due to failure to meet EU hygiene rules, see: Commission Regulation (EC) No 146/2009 of 20 February 2009 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 2076/2005 as regards imports of fishery products from Cameroon EN FR
** ESA **
* East Africa: Milk Trade War Spills Over Uganda and Kenya
Wambi Michael, IPS, 12 March 2009
Ugandan exporters of dairy products to Kenya are bitter. They are accusing their bigger neighbour of imposing non-tariff trade barriers to block their produce from entering markets in Kenya and elsewhere. Ugandan milk processors complain that Kenya maintains overly complex import regulations on milk products which have the effect of locking out dairy imports from Uganda . This defeats the aims of the East African Customs Union.
* Trade unions set terms for EPA talks
The Citizen, 3 March 2009
The East Africa Trade Union Congress (EATUC) has joined groups that want the deadline for the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) between the East Africa Community and the European Commission extended. A general meeting of the umbrella body for all trade unions in the region listed a total of ten conditions, which they say, are crucial to the the continuation of the EPA negotiations. In a press statement detailing resolutions of the meeting held in Uganda last week, EATUC Secretary General Mr Emmanuel Nzunda said members called for extension of the July 2009 deadline to allow for further consultations. [...] The call for extension of the deadline comes after similar ones by Oxfam International and a grouping of other civil society organisations, including some from Tanzania that want EAC to reconsider its economic negotiating stand points.
* EAC yet to start talks on trade agreement
Benson Kathuri, The Standard, 10 March 2009
East African Community (EAC) partner states are yet to start negotiations on trade in services with the European Union (EU), four months to the deadline set to sign a final trade agreement. [...]
When EAC tried to jumpstart the negotiations in August last year, the negotiators realised that they lacked vital information on sectors likely to be affected should they open up the market to the EU experts. They instead appointed some consultants to undertake a study to identify information gap that needed to be filled before the negotiators can present their requests and offers to the EU negotiators in Brussels, Belgium. "They (consultants) were of the view that there is not only inadequate information on legal and regulatory frameworks in the region in respect of services but also that liberalisation on services has taken place without sufficient legal and regulatory frameworks," said Gerald Ajumbo, principal trade officer, Directorate of Trade, EAC secretariat.
-> see also * Exporters urged to explore EU market before deal expires , Benson Kathuri, The Standard, 27 February 2009
** SADC **
* Trade: Southern Africa Buckling Before EU Pressure to Sign EPA?
Servaas van den Bosch, IPS, 17 March 2009
While South Africa plays for time, the signing of a finalised economic partnership agreement (EPA) between the European Union (EU) and the southern African countries seems imminent - despite regional trade fragmentation remaining a danger. Last week, top-level delegations met in the scenic seaside town of Swakopmund , Namibia , in another attempt to broker the problematic EPA between the EU and a clutch of Southern African Development Community (SADC) members, consisting of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) countries plus Angola and Mozambique . [...]
As officials rushed back to their capitals to report to their superiors, the EU seemed confident that a deal is in the offing. "I would say parties have come a lot closer in the talks last week," EU ambassador to Namibia , Elisabeth Pape, told IPS. The SACU Secretariat, based in Windhoek, confirmed to IPS in a written statement that "substantial process" has been made in "addressing the unresolved negotiating issues that SADC EPA states identified".
-> see also : * Step by step removal of obstacles to EPA , Lienette Goosen, The Namibia Economist, 20 March 2009
* SA may be excluded from EU partner deal
Mathabo Le Roux, Business Day, 16 March 2009
The European Union (EU) is likely to move towards the official signing of an interim economic partnership agreement, known as an EPA, with countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that will exclude SA. A meeting last week in Swakopmund, Namibia, between the European Commission (EC) and the SADC group failed to break an impasse over concerns SA has, despite significant further concessions by the EU to sweeten the deal.
A source close to the talks, who declined to be named, said it was likely the EC would ask to be given the go-ahead to prepare to sign the interim deal as all attempts to bring SA back into the talks had failed. This will see Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland sign the deal, leaving SA, the only other member of the Southern African Customs Union, out of the deal. [...]
Sources close to the process said Namibia - which shared SA's concerns - had been won over by the EU's concessions and indicated it would sign, clearing the way for the commission to propose a date for signature to legitimise trade relations between Europe and the region.
* South Africa extends tariff preferences under the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement (TDCA) to Bulgaria and Romania
European Commission, market access flash note No. 20, 13 March 2009
The measure entered into force [on 20 February] with retroactive effect from 1 January 2007 .
* Angola: Economic Partnership Accord Requires Safeguard of National Interests
Angola Press / allAfrica.com, 3 March 2009
Angola as a developing country has specific concerns that hinders the liberalisation of its market, within the framework of the Economic Partnership Accord between the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and the European Community. This was said Wednesday in Luanda by Angolan minister of Commerce, Idalina Valente, while opening the seminar on Angola 's participation in negotiations for a partnership accord between SADC and EU.
* European Commission decision on imports of fresh meat from parts of Botswana
Following the elimination of foot-and-mouth disease in veterinary disease control zone 12, exports of fresh meat into the Community from that zone have been authorised again.
-> see Commission Decision of 20 February 2009 amending Annex II to Council Decision 79/542/EEC as regards the entry for Botswana in the list of third countries or parts thereof from which imports into the Community of certain fresh meat are authorised
EN FR
** Pacific **
* Trade Policy Review: Fiji
Press release, WTO, 25 March 2009
Since its last review, Fiji has undertaken some trade-related reforms and has liberalized and rationalized its foreign investment regime, reforms that are seen as integral to Fiji 's economic priorities of a developing, efficient and competitive open economy to promote export-led growth, according to a WTO Secretariat report on the trade policies and practices of Fiji .
* Negotiating with 'friends'
Roman Grynberg , Papua New Guinea Weekend Courier, 21-22 March 2009
Immediately following the completion of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe this year the islands will have to negotiate another free trade agreement with Australia and New Zealand under the terms of the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER). [...] Following a bruising encounter with Commissioner Mandelson last year one Pacific Island Minister came up to me, obviously deeply offended by the typical rudeness shown by EU Commissioner Mandelson and said: "at least when we negotiate with Australia and New Zealand we will be negotiating with friends". I reminded him of what former Australian Prime Minister John Howard said when he was asked by the Australian press why his close American friends had negotiated what was widely seen as a very bad trade agreement for Australia. He replied: "in trade, friendships don't matter for very much".
-> see also: * Who owns the forum? , Roman Grynberg, Fiji Times, 9 March 2009
-> reaction by the Australian Trade Minister:
* Crean says PACER plus good for the Pacific
Radio Australia, 9 March 2009
Australia's Trade Minister, Simon Crean is reacting strongly to claims made over the past week by the former Director of Economic Governance at the Pacific Islands Forum secreatariat, Dr Roman Grynberg, who criticised Australia and New Zealand's treatment of their Pacific nieghbours in trade negotiations.
-> reaction by the Foreign Minister of New Zealand:
* New Zealand Foreign Minister denies heavy-handed approach to Pacific nations , Radio New Zealand International, 11 March 2009
---
III. Selection from the acp-eu-trade.org Library
---
* Contentious issues in the interim EPAs: Potential flexibility in the negotiations
Sanoussi Bilal, Dan Lui, ECDPM Discussion Paper 89, March 2009
Despite a period of intense negotiations towards interim EPAs that led to the conclusion of several Interim Economic Partnership Agreements between the EU and a number of ACP States in late 2007, a number of ACP negotiators and politicians have voiced concerns over a number of provisions appearing within the agreements that they view as 'contentious'.
This paper seeks to provide a synthesis of different arguments made on a selected number of them, as well as a balanced summary of justifications provided both for and against the provisions.
* Preliminary note on financial crisis and trade and investment treaties
Third World Network, 15 March 2009
There should be a blanket review of relevant existing FTAs, BITs and WTO provisions to see which provisions of these rules are now inappropriate given the new understanding we now have on financial liberalisation. In such a review, recommendations should be made to adjust these existing agreements to make them in line with the new understanding and realities. During this review process, the implementation of the parts of the existing FTAs that are linked to the new understanding about the downside of financial liberalisation should be suspended until the review and possible revisions are completed.
All current FTA negotiations including economic partnership agreements (EPAs) should be frozen until a review is completed about their appropriateness in light of the current crisis conditions.
* Interim Agreement with a view to an Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Central Africa Party, of the other part
Official Journal of the European Union, 28 February 2009
EN FR
* Stepping stone Economic Partnership Agreement between Côte d'Ivoire, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part
Official Journal of the European Union, 3 March 2009
EN FR
* WTO negotiations on agriculture from ACP and EU perspectives
Executive brief, CTA, January 2009
The EU's approach to the WTO agricultural negotiations is based on the process of CAP reform, (essentially involving a shift from price support to direct aid payments). This allows export refunds to be eliminated and import tariffs to be reduced, without undermining agricultural markets in the EU, and means that EU cotton subsidies are to be reduced in line with ACP concerns. To this is linked a growing emphasis on non-trade concerns, notably the protection of geographical indications (GIs). However this embraces issues of concern to developing countries, such as the right to use measures to promote food security and the alleviation of poverty, free of WTO restraints.
EN FR
* African Regional Integration and the Role of the European Union
Ludger Kühnhardt, Discussion Paper C184, Center for European Integration Studies, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 2008
African regional integration is going through its own formative years. They must be result- driven and open to the world in order to link Africa with the age of globalization. A remarkable new beginning has emerged in African regionbuilding. Now, the phase of deliverance has started. This is a new, sometimes daunting and often difficult chapter. But it is a chapter with a perspective: To re-define the place of African people, societies and states in dignity and respect amidst all the other players in the age of globalization. For Europe, this opens the responsibility to engage in a new and futureoriented partnership with its neighbouring continent that truly deserves the name and will stand the test of time.
---
IV. Resources from Recent Events
---
* Plenary session of the European Parliament
23-26 March 2009, Strasbourg
MEPs gave assent to the CARIFORUM-EU EPA and the Cote d'Ivoire-EU stepping stone agreement and voted on a report on the Africa-EU strategy.
-> Resolutions adopted on 25 March 2009 , including 10 resolutions on EPAs EN FR
-> Resolution on the Africa-EU partnership, 24 March 2009 EN FR
-> Results of the votes EN FR
* 5th Ordinary Session of the African Union Ministers of Trade
16-20 March 2009, Addis Ababa
-> Press release , AU, 20 March 2009
-> Draft Annotated Agenda, Meeting of Ministers EN FR
-> Draft Annotated Agenda, Meeting of Senior Officials EN FR
-> Briefing note , AU
-> Statement by H.E. Mr. Girma Birru , Minister of Trade and Industry, Ethiopia
-> Statement by Mrs. Elizabeth Tankeu , AU Commissioner for Trade and Industry
* Workshop on Trade Facilitation and Aid for Trade: Sustaining Trade Facilitation Gains Through Effective Aid for Trade Strategies
12-13 March 2009, Addis Ababa
Workshop organized by African Trade Policy Centre of UNECA
-> Conference webpage , including meeting documents and presentations
* Seminar on "Improving trade flows in East Africa"
10-13 March 2009, Nairobi
Organised by the Commonwealth Secretariat
-> Press release , Commonwealth Secretariat
* Workshop on "The Financial Crisis and G20 Summitry: Decoding (South) African Positions"
2-3 March 2009, Johannesburg
Hosted by the South African Institute of International Affairs
-> Agenda and presentations
-> Workshop report
* EAC, ESA and SADC 2009 Regional Conference on Challenges of EPA negotiations
26 - 27 February 2009, Harare
Organized by TRADES Centre
-> Communiqué
-> Papers presented and pictures on the TRADES Centre website
* Information seminar on trade in services
16-17 February 2009, Dar es Salaam
European Commission officials, Tanzanian officials and other stakeholders from the Tanzanian private and public sectors, and EPA experts from other EAC (Eastern African Community) countries discussed the role of services in the WTO and EPA framework.
-> Agenda and presentations on the EC website
---
V. Resources on Upcoming Events
---
* ESA-EC technical EPA negotiations (tbc)
1-3 April 2009, Lusaka
* Opening conference: 2009-2010 programme "Better Training for Safer Food in Africa"
3 April 2009, Addis Ababa
-> Announcement , COLEACP
* West Africa - EC EPA negotiations
4 April 2009, Abuja
* ESA-EC ministerial meeting
6 April 2009, Lusaka
* North-South Corridor - International Financing Conference
6 - 7 April 2009, Lusaka
-> conference website
* ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly
6-9 April 2009, Prague
-> meeting documents EN FR
* Central Africa-EC EPA negotiations
20 April 2009, Brussels
* ESA-EC technical EPA negotiations (tbc)
20-23 April 2009, Brussels
* West Africa-EC EPA negotiations (tbc)
28 April - 7 May 2009, Brussels
* WTI/UNITAR e-Learning Course on "International Trade Regulation"
11 May to 5 June 2009
This foundation course by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and the World Trade Institute aims to provide an overview of World Trade Organization (WTO) law and policy to officials and professionals in charge of trade related issues, as well as to other stakeholders.
-> Information and registration at the UNITAR website