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The acp-eu-trade.org newsletter -- No. 31/July-August 2009
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In this issue:
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I. Trade Negotiations Insights Vol.8, No.6
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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 July-August issue of the acp-eu-trade.org newsletter!
Below you will find a link to the July-August issue of Trade Negotiations Insights, a collection of press articles published during the past two months 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 this 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: Stéphanie Colin (sco@ecdpm.org), and Fantu Mulleta (fm@ecdpm.org)
I. Trade Negotiations Insights Vol.8, No.6
The July-August 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. 6, July-August 2009
• The EC-SADC EPA: The Moment of Truth for Regional Integration (Aurelie Walker)
• Editorial & News and publications In brief
• The Future of the Southern African Customs Union (Peter Draper and Nkululeko Khumalo)
• Tracing the Special and Differential Treatment principle through the CARIFORUM EPA (Alisa Dicaprio and Silke Trommer)
• Protected Geographical Indications for ACP Countries: A Solution or a Mirage? (Vincent Fautrel, Solene Sureau, Marie-Cecile Thirion, and Massimo Vittori)
• Stimulating an Island Nation: The Logic behind Mauritius’ Additional Stimulus Package (Raj Makoond)
• WTO Roundup
• EPA Negotiations Update
• Calendar and resources
Eclairage sur les Négociations, Vol. 8, No. 6, Juillet-Août 2009
• L’APE CE-SADC: Moment de vérité pour l’intégration régionale (Aurelie Walker)
• Éditorial & Nouvelles et publications En bref
• Quel est l’avenir de l’Union douanière d’Afrique australe (Peter Draper et Nkululeko Khumalo)
• Retrouver le principe du Traitement spécial et différencié à travers l’APE du CARIFORUM (Alisa Dicaprio et Silke Trommer)
• Les indications géographiques pour les pays ACP: solution ou mirage?(Vincent Fautrel, Solene Sureau, Marie-Cecile Thirion, and Massimo Vittori)
• Stimulation d’une île nation: la logique derrière le plan de relance additionnel mauricien (Raj Makoond)
• Aperçu sur l’OMC
• Le point sur les négociations APE
• Calendrier et publications
** All-ACP **
* Poor Banana Producers Need Targeted Aid
Daily News Alerts, 7 August 2009
Aid to help banana producers in poor countries improve yields and efficiency could benefit them more than improved access to export markets, according to a new study of trade in the fruit. And both exporters in relatively more efficient Latin American countries and those in poor former European colonies in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states would benefit from a deal on bananas linked to a global trade agreement rather than a standalone pact, according to the study by economics professor Giovanni Anania of Italy's University of Calabria.
* African Parliamentarians and civil society organizations discuss Regional Integration and EPAs
African Union Press release, 31 July 2009
‘Parliamentarians and civil society organizations drawn from the different regions of Africa ended on Thursday, 30 July 2009, a two day workshop on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) at the African Union Commission Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The participants of the workshop underscored the need for African countries to focus on the regional integration process of the continent’.
-> See also Resources from past events
** Caribbean **
* Name Change for Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery
Caribbean Press Releases.com, 16 July 2009
In the future, the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) will be referred to as the Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN). The name change was one of a number of decisions taken at the 30th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) held 2- 4 July 2009 in Guyana.
-> See also Resources from past events
* Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on External Trade meets ahead of CARICOM Summit
CARICOM Press Release, 30 June 2009
The Twentieth Meeting of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on External Negotiations of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will be convened in Georgetown, Guyana, July 1, 2009 to consider, among other matters, the incorporation of the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM) into the CARICOM Secretariat as a specialised department and the implementation of Caribbean Forum of African Caribbean and Pacific States (CARIFORUM)-European Community (EC) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed in October 2008.
-> See also: A 21st century Caricom, Caribbean Council Director David Jessop, BBC, 29 June 2009
** West Africa **
* West Africa EPA negotiations deadline extended from June to October 2009
Melissa Julian, EPA Update, August 2009
The EU and West African negotiators agreed to conclude a regional agreement on trade in goods and development cooperation by October 2009 at their 17 June meeting as conditions that must be on the ground for the overall development of the region are not yet in place.There are contentious issues that need to be settled before the conclusion of the EPA such as development issues, supply-side constraints, infrastructure facilities, capacity building, regional integration, and adjustment cost of liberalisation. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to moving forward the longer term process to build a lasting partnership between the EU and West Africa.
* Ghana to sign EPA in October
Myjoyonline, 13 August 2009
Ghana may be compelled to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement in its current form come October if discussions on the agreements are not finally concluded by ECOWAS.
There is a disagreement between ECOWAS and the EU over what percent of its markets should be liberalized.
The sub-region is proposing 60 per cent but the EU is suggesting 80 and the disagreement could prolong the EPA negotiations till January next year.
But a director at the Ministry of Trade, Clement Ayaaba tells Joy Business Ghana may have some serious challenges if ECOWAS is unable to conclude negotiations by October.
* Ghana endorses EPA in October
Fiifi Koomson, Joy Business, 21 July 2009
Trade and Industry Minister Hannah Tetteh says Ghana will trade only in goods under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) – contrary to suggestions the country would also be trading in services. […]
Ghana, together with other ECOWAS countries, will sign on to the EPA in October. […]
Ms Tetteh however hinted that negotiations regarding trade in services and intellectual property issues have been deferred “for the future" as the country is "just looking at trade in goods for now.”
* EU and West Africa move forward on regional Economic Partnership Agreement
EC press release, 17 June 2009
The European Union and West African countries have today agreed to conclude a regional agreement on trade in goods and development cooperation by October 2009. EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton and Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid Louis Michel met Presidents Chambas and Cissé of the two regional organisations ECOWAS
(Economic Community of West African States) and UEMOA (Union économique et monétaire ouest-africaine) and West African Ministers in Brussels. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to moving forward the longer term process to build a lasting partnership between the EU and West Africa.
EN FR
** ESA **
* East Africa: Six Countries to Ink EPA Deal
Times of Zambia, 25 August 2009
Six Eastern and Southern African (ESA) countries will this Saturday sign the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) in Mauritius.
The interim EPA would be signed on August 29, 2009 between EU and Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
-> See also ESA block to sign interim EPA with EU on 29 August Africa News, 21 August 2009
* EAC right on trade deal
Business Daily, 7 August 2009
After nearly three years of negotiations, East Africa once again failed to beat last Friday’s deadline for the signing of an Economic Partnership Agreement —better known as EPAs with Europe— exposing the flow of goods and services from the region to turbulence.
It is hard to remember, but last Friday was actually the third deadline the parties had set to conclude the talks after earlier ones stalled because of differences on key issues around trade and development.
* East Africa may delay trade pact with EU: Tanzania
Reuters, bilaterals.org, 29 July 2009
EAC bloc is likely to delay signing a new trade deal with the European Union because fresh issues have been introduced in the negotiations, Tanzania’s trade minister said. […]
"Negotiations on the EPAs were meant to conclude on July 31, but that will not be achieved because of EU introducing other voluntary trade-related issues," Mary Nagu said in her ministry’s budget presentation, published on Wednesday.
She said the issues included government procurement, environment and sustainable development.
"East African Community member states, including Tanzania, do not agree with this, as they are yet to be agreed on under the World Trade Organisation," Nagu said
* East African Business Council and EU TradeCom Facility agree to strengthen the role of the region’s private sector EPA negotiations
Mike Mande, allAfrica,com, 20 July 2009
The East African Business Council and TradeCom Facility have agreed to work together to strengthen the role of East African private sector in East African Community--European Union Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations. Under the partnership, EABC will run a programme that will improve private sector awareness of the EAC-EU EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement) negotiations and also strengthen its participation in trade policy formulation.
** SADC **
* EPA can benefit Botswana, but needs caution – Dr Sigwele
Obusitse Kologwe, Sundaystandard, 10 August 2009
Addressing the BOCCIM workshop in Francistown on Tuesday, the Executive Director of Delta Diaries, consultant and member of BOCCIM, Dr Howard Sigwele, indicated that although there were benefits in this agreement in trying to enhance the private sector to participate smoothly in the foreign markets, there were possible threats such as unregulated entry of goods and subsidized European Union imports into Botswana, which might negate on the performance of the local business people and lead to some companies closing down.
* Calls for Namibia not to sign interim-EPA hold merit, says analyst
Christy van der Merwe, Engineering News, 27 July 2009
A number of Namibian civil society organisations, as well as the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI), have supported the government’s decision not to sign the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (I-EPA) with the European Union (EU), amid concerns that it caused discord among Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) member States.
“The calls from Namibian civil society organisations and the NCCI for the government not to sign the interim agreement at this stage hold more than merit,” said Namibian independent trade policy analyst Wallie Roux in an article in the Namibia-based newspaper New Era.
Roux noted the complex history of the negotiations surrounding the EPAs and I-EPAs, as well as Namibian Trade and Industry Minister Dr Hage Geingob’s said reluctance to sign the EPAs on the basis that, in their current form, the EPAs directly affect the country’s future South-South trade and cooperation, as well as its regional integration efforts.
* SACU Faces Uncertain Future
Desie Heita, New Era, 14 July 2009
The world’s oldest customs union, Southern African Customs Union (SACU), is facing a dark road ahead, although this is not to say that the coalition is on the verge of crumbling. […]
Experts say the EPA-SADC agreement subdivides trade groupings of SADC, especially SACU, according to the EU’s own interests, to the detriment of the entire grouping. […]
Nonsense, says the European Union regarding its EPA breaking up SACU.
The commission says it is South Africa that is no longer interested in the relationship and is now portraying the EU-EPA as the threat to SACU and regional integration.
* SADC non-state actors call for continuation of EPA negotiations towards comprehensive agreements
EESC Press release, 14 July 2009
Delegates at the 10th Regional Seminar of ACP-EU Economic and Social Interest Groups organised by the EESC in Gaborone, Botswana, on June 28-30 debated the EPA negotiations with the SADC region, the impact of the financial and economic crisis on Africa, food security and the role of non-state actors in implementing the Cotonou Agreement.
The delegates stressed that the negotiations towards comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the fifteen countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) should continue, but at the appropriate pace for the capacities of SADC countries and under certain conditions.
EN FR
-> See also Resources from Recent events
* Namibia’s EPA Stance Worries EU
Desie Heita, New Era, 8 July 2009
Not only is the European Union (EU) uncomfortable with Namibia’s ambiguity on interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), but it is also concerned about the possibility of a legal challenge over Namibia’s access to duty-free quota free since last year.
Namibia too must realise that at one point the EPA would want to move on towards implementation and, if not part of EPA, Namibian beef would enter EU through the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), a trade regime that attracts ad valorem and specific import duty or tariff per tonne.
“The train goes on, if Namibia does not jump on board it would be too late for anything. We have to move on towards the implementation of EPA,” says Lutz Guellner, spokesperson for EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton.
** Pacific **
* Pacific ACP meeting discussed EU funding
Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, 5 August 2009
Pacific ACP Leaders held their 7th meeting in the northern Australian city of Cairns ahead of the 40th Pacific Islands Forum yesterday with discussions focused on the European Union’s funding to the region and trade related issues affecting the membership of the group.
During the meeting, PACP Leaders appreciated the signing of the final 10th EDF Pacific Regional Indicative Programme between the European Commission and the Regional Authorizing Officer (RAO) in November last year.
* The EU and Papua New Guinea signed the interim EPA
EC press release, 30 July 2009
The European Union and Papua New Guinea signed today (30 July 2009) the interim Economic Partnership Agreement which was first initialled at the end of 2007. Fiji also initialled the Agreement in 2007 but decided to sign at a later stage. The agreement focuses on trade in goods and includes important provisions on rules of origin for the fisheries sector. The agreement was signed today by EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton on behalf of the European Commission, Mr Anders Ahnlid, Director General for Trade, on behalf of the Swedish Presidency of the EU and The Hon. Samuel Abal, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration on behalf of Papua New Guinea.
* EU funds project to boost Pacific trade
Fiji Broadcasting Corporation LTD, 31 July 2009
A new project to promote Pacific Island exports of agricultural and forestry products are being funded by the European Union.
The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) will receive 4 million EURO over five years to implement the project.
During the 2006 Pacific Islands Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services meeting, SPC’s Land Resource Division was asked to submit a proposal to the EU to fund a pilot project on Facilitating Agricultural Commodity Trade (FACT). […]
“Unlike previous SPC projects, FACT is designed to provide support to private sector enterprises within the existing commercial farming and forestry sector,” Dr Thomson said.
* ACP Secretary-General says Pacer Plus threatens small and weaker Pacific economies
SAMOA Obsever/PACNews, 27 July 2009
ACP Secretary-General, Papua New Guinea’s Sir John Kaputin, says the push by Australia and New Zealand for a Pacer-Plus Agreement poses a threat to small and economically weaker members of the Pacific Islands Forum.
He suggested that since two of the 14 ACP Pacific states, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, have initialled an EPA (Economic Partnership Agreement), the Pacer-Plus Agreement should have been bilateral agreements negotiated with these two countries and not a blanket arrangement that covered the whole region.
Speaking at Australia’s Wollongong University ahead of the Pacific Islands Leaders Forum meeting in Cairns, Australia, Kaputin said in the case of the Pacific ACP States, the negotiations of an EPA with the European Union have triggered the possibility to conclude a Pacer Plus Free Trade Agreement with Australia and New Zealand.
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III. Selection from the acp-eu-trade.org Library
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* Council Decision on the signature and provisional application of the Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part
Council of the European Union, 26 June 2009
The text of the interim EPA is attached to this Decision.
EN FR
* Benchmarking EPA between EU and ECOWAS
Ken Ukaocha, Mike Kwanashie , A study conducted by NANTS, July 2009
The new world order is predicated on an unprecedented growth in the extensiveness and intensity of interconnections among countries on a purely global scale. This process is however, posing serious challenges to weak economies that are not able to influence the terms on which they have to integrate into the new world economy. The potential benefits of greater integration of the world economies have, however, encouraged most economies to seek to be part of the greater interdependence generated by this process.
* The Cotonou Partnership Agreement between the European Union (EU) and African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries
Maria Reisen, EEPA Report on the Cotonou Agreement and the Right to Development, 5 May 2009
This report has been commissioned by the High-level Task Force on the implementation of the right to development (hereinafter referred to as Task Force). The purpose of this study is to analyze the application of the Right to Development criteria for the evaluation of global partnerships for development in the context of MDG 8 to the Cotonou Partnership Agreement between EU and ACP countries.
* The Reform of the EU Sugar Trade Preferences toward Developing Countries in Light of the Economic Partnership Agreements
Elisabetta Gotor, The Estey Centre Journal of International Law and Trade Policy, Volume 10 Number 2 2009/p. 15-29
This article provides a general overview of the evolution of the European Union2 trade preferences with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Countries, giving due attention to the reform of the Sugar Protocol (SP) in light of the anticipated Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). The EU sugar trade relationship with the ACP, as captured in both a reformed SP for ACP non–least developed countries and in the Everything-but-Arms initiative for the world’s least developed countries, is analysed and contextualized within the ongoing negotiations toward achieving EPAs, which will substitute the Lomé Convention and give a new order to EU-ACP relationships.
* Aid for Trade - Matching Potential Demand and Supply
Richard Newfarmer, Elisa Gamberoni, Policy Research Working Paper 4991, July 2009
This paper is designed to help both the beneficiary governments and donors of aid-for-trade identify countries that are under-performing in trade and which are receiving less aid for trade than their global performance might otherwise suggest is necessary. The authors develop ten measures of trade performance and capacity (including trade-related infrastructure, institutions, and incentives) to assess potential demand, and then look at country allocations of aid for trade to see which are receiving below-average amounts in the supply of aid for trade—relative to their potential demand.
* European Food Safety Regulation and the Developing Countries: Regulatory Problems and Possibilities
Morten Broberg, DIIS Working Paper, 2009
This paper examines the European Community's food safety regime in order to identify those legal measures that cause the most problems for developing countries' exporters of food products and to point to possible solutions. It is shown that barriers may arise due to an array of requirements, some of which may apper to be rather minor legal amendments, such as changing a sampling plan.
* How would a WTO agreement on bananas affect exporting and importing countries?
Giovanni Anania, ICTSD Issue Paper No.21, June 2009
The importance of tropical products for developing countries is undeniable. Their significance has been recognised in an array of studies, fora and organisations. As indicated in a document by the Common Fund for Basic Products (2004): “The livelihoods of hundreds of millions of the world’s poorest people in developing countries, and in particularly in the least developed countries, are heavily dependent on commodities. Commodities form the backbone of the economies and account for the bulk of the export earnings of these countries. The development of commodities is thus vitally important in the global struggle to alleviate poverty.”
* Comparing Safeguard Measures in Regional and Bilateral Agreements
Paul Kruger, Willemien Denner, JB Cronje, ICTSD Issue Paper No. 22, June 2009
An increase in trade liberalisation coupled with the introduction of new competition can set new demands for certain domestic industries. In instances where domestic industries are struggling to survive, various trade remedies are available to protect them from foreign competitors. The retention of trade remedies in trade agreements serves the purpose of obtaining political support needed for the successful implementation of the agreement and assures import-competing sectors in member states that protection against unanticipated consequences of liberalisation is available.
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IV. Resources from Recent Events
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* 40th Pacific Islands Forum
5-6 August 2009, Cairns, Australia
-> Forum Communiqué, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat
* Workshop for Parliamentarians and Civil Society on EPAs
29-30 July 2009, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
-> Press release, African Union
* EU-South Africa Joint Cooperation Council (JCC) meeting
23 July 2009, Brussels
-> Press release, Council of the European Union
* EC-West Africa EPA Negotiation Meeting
22-23 July 2009, Dakar
-> Summary of conclusions
* EPA Negotiations Coordination Meeting
22-23 July 2009, Gaborone, Botswana
-> Recommendations of the Meeting
-> Report of the Meeting
-> Report on Doha Negotiations
* CARICOM Regional Symposium on Services
15-17 July 2009, Antigua and Barbuda
-> CARICOM Secretariat website with Speeches, concept papers and presentations
* ECDPM informal workshop on contentious issues of the EPA negotiations and regional delivery mechanisms for Aid for Trade
8-9 July 2009, Brussels
-> Final Summary Report
* G8 Summit 2009
8-10 July 2009, L’Aquila
-> Chair's Summary
-> L'Aquila" Joint Statement on Global Food Security
* 30th Meeting of the CARICOM Heads of Government
2-5 July 2009, Georgetown, Guyana
-> Draft CARICOM Secretariat Communiqué
* 10th Regional Seminar of ACP-EU Economic and Social Interest Groups
28-30 June 2009, Gaborone, Botswana
-> Final Declaration
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V. Resources on Upcoming Events
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* 2nd ACP-EC negotiating meeting of Group II “Revision of the Cotonou Agreement”
18 September, Brussels
* EU-West Africa Technical Negotiations (tbc)
21-26 September
* EU Africa Business Forum
28-29 September 2009, Nairobi, Kenya
-> Announcement
* WTO Public Forum 2009: Global Problems, Global Solutions: Towards Better Global Governance
28-29 September 2009, Geneva, Switzerland
-> Announcement
-> On-line Registration Form
-> Programme
* High-Level Expert Forum on How to Feed the World in 2050
12-13 October 2009, Rome
-> Announcement
* European Development Days
22-24 October 2009, Stockholm
-> Registration
-> Agenda