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The acp-eu-trade.org newsletter -- No. 32/September 2009
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In this issue:
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I. Trade Negotiations Insights Vol.8, No.7
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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 September issue of the acp-eu-trade.org newsletter!
Below you will find a link to the September 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), Fantu Mulleta (fm@ecdpm.org) and Mélissa Dalleau (md@ecdpm.org)
I. Trade Negotiations Insights Vol.8, No.7
The September 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. 7, September 2009
• Launching the COMESA Customs Union: The Secretary General Talks (Interview with TNI)
• Editorial & News and publications In brief
• They Want to Silence Us: The Impact of Governance on Trade and Rural Development in Cameroon (Jacob Kotcho)
• The ACP Advantage: Interpreting GATT Article XXIV and Market Access: Implications for EPAs (El Hadji A. Diouf)
• After the Sugar Protocol (Patricia Garcia-Duran, Elisa Casanova and Montserrat Millet)
• Shortfalls and Opportunities: The Implementation of the Africa-EU Trade, Regional Integration and Infrastructure Partnership (Veronika Tywuschik and Stéphanie Colin)
• WTO Roundup
• EPA Negotiations Update
• Calendar and resources
Eclairage sur les Négociations, Vol. 8, No. 7, Septembre 2009
• Le Secrétaire Général de la COMESA s'exprime sur le lancement de l’union douanière (Entretien d'Eclairage)
• Éditorial & Nouvelles et publications En bref
• Ils veulent nous faire taire: l'impact de la gouvernance sur le commerce et le développement rural au Cameroun (Jacob Kotcho)
• L’Article XXIV du GATT et l’offre d’accès au marché dans les APE : une perspective africaine (Dr El Hadji A. Diouf)
• Après le Protocole Sucre (Patricia Garcia-Duran, Elisa Casanova et Montserrat Millet)
• Insuffisances et opportunités : Mise en oeuvre du partenariat Afrique-UE pour le commerce, l’intégration régionale et les infrastructures (Veronika Tywuschik et Stéphanie Colin)
• Aperçu sur l’OMC
• Le point sur les négociations APE
• Calendrier et publications
** All-ACP **
* Bananas, Economic Partnership Agreements and the WTO
Giovanni Anania, ICTSD, September 2009
The conclusion of the Doha Round or an agreement to end the banana dispute at the WTO would significantly reduce the preferential margins that African, Caribbean and Pacific banana exporters enjoy under their Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union.
* New EU rule threatens African fish exports
John Oyuke, The Standard, 15 September 2009
The European Union (EU) will enforce a new regulation that will affect fishing industries in Africa, a new study says. The Commonwealth Secretariat study says EU’s Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) regulation will be implemented in January next year putting strict conditions on countries that want to maintain access to the trading bloc’s market.
** Caribbean **
* Rum money running out - EU programme to end despite rum-makers plea
Jamaica Gleaner News, 2 September 2009
The European Union (EU) is sticking to its guns that the integrated rum programme, which funds the modernisation of the rum producing plants in Cariforum countries and prepares regional producers for full liberalisation of the EU rum market, will not be extended after the planned end date of June 2010. This is despite continuing lobby efforts by the West Indies Rum and Spirits Association (WIRSPA) for the seven-year-old programme to be rolled over. […] An official extension request from the regional rum producers was submitted to the EU last month, but the EU office in Jamaica said the Europeans have already told the rum makers, no.
* Agriculture Focus of the Thirty-Second Special COTED in Georgetown
CARICOM Press Release, 16 September 2009
The Thirty-Second Special Meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Agriculture opens on Friday 18 September. Under Agricultural Trade Facilitation the COTED will examine issues pertaining to Health, Food Safety Systems, Infrastructure and Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Risk Assessment. Discussions will be held on the follow-up to the Public-Private Sector Consultations on Agri-Business - a two-day Consultation held in Georgetown, Guyana on 27-28 May 2009 to enhance the framework for the development of Agribusiness in the Region.
** West Africa **
* EU, West Africa Delay EPA Conclusion
ICTSD, September 2009
Western African countries and the European Union acknowledged in June that more time was needed to conclude an economic partnership agreement between the two regions.
The parties had hoped to wrap up the negotiations in mid-2009, but have now agreed to take the process forward in two stages. They aim to sign an agreement on market access, development co-operation and certain trade-related issues by late October, and pick up other subjects, such as services, as of January 2010.
* Accord de partenariat économique : Le CNP exprime les priorités africaines à l'Europe (Full article in French only)
Walf Fadjri, 15 September 2009
The Head of the European Commission Delegation in Senegal has taken notice of the West African priorities raised by the National Council of Employers (CNP in French) in the context of an EPA projected to be signed in October 2009.
* Effets des Accords de Partenariat Economique : l’OIT suggère la structuration du marché du travail (Full article in French only)
Quotidien Le Soleil, Sénégal, 15-17 Septembre 2009
A workshop on the impacts of EPAs on labour markets in West Africa organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) opened yesterday in Dakar and will take place until 17 September. The participants will include civil servants from the Ministries of Trade and Labour of the seven West African countries but also from the Secretariats of ECOWAS and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA in French) as well as representatives from employees and employers’ organisations.
** 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 **
* Cautionary note on EPAs
The Botswana Gazette, 22 September 2009
Our leadership deserves a pat on the back for the above policies [to diversify the economy away from mining especially diamonds], but the latest agreement again through the Ministry of Trade should be welcome with caution. This latest agreement, which the Government believes can take Botswana a step forward in economic diversification, is the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
* Namibia in EU grape deadlock
Bilaterals.org, 12 September 2009
The Namibian government has refused to sign its Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the EU, leaving grape exporters facing a serious loss of trade preferences or a considerable increase in costs. The bulk of Namibian crops are exported to the EU. However, growers will need to divert most of their exports elsewhere, as uncertainty is spreading serious concern throughout the table grape industry, from Namibian producers along the supply chain to receivers in Europe.
-> See also Namibian Exports Pose Threat to South Africa's Fishing Industry, Mathabo Le Roux, BusinessDay, 13 August 2009
* SACU facing extinction
Florence de Vries, BusRep.co.za, 2 September 2009
The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) faces severe challenges that could threaten its very existence, a point reiterated by several speakers at the opening of the Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa (tralac) annual conference yesterday (September 3). Revisiting the issue of regional integration, TRALAC associate Colin McCarthy said that one of the key barriers to attaining proper integration between the members of the world’s oldest customs union is the fact that member states are still largely economically unequal.
-> See also EU trade agreements undermine regional integration, says SA official, Christy van der Merwe, Creamer Media’s Engineering News Online, 3 August 2009
* SACU Members Deeply United
Desie Heita, New Era, 13 August 2009
The recent public wagging of a disapproving finger across member states in the oldest Southern African Customs Union over the Economic Partnership Agreements with Europe, is in no way an indication of a union facing break-up nor is it a sign of disunity. “We do not think so,” is what the SACU Executive Secretary, Tswelopele Moremi, has to say regarding whether the union is facing serious threats that may lead to a break-up. If anything, she says, this shows the resilience of the union, its transformation over a century-long period, a larger part of which was spent under apartheid set up, into a democratic and viable organisation.
* Namibian Industry Sees Red Over Red Line
Jo-Maré Duddy, the Namibian, 18 August 2009
Various participants in a talk on the economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) yesterday saw red when Finance Permanent Secretary Calle Schlettwein dared suggesting that the veterinary fence in the North be gradually moved further North to offer those farmers the same market access as those south of the fence. […]
“If we should sign the interim EPA and then decide to move the Red Line, we'll lose access to the EU beef market," Schlettwein said at a public dialogue of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Agricultural Trade Forum.
** Pacific **
* Pacific ACP Officials meet European Commission to advance discussions on the comprehensive EPA with the EU
PacificIslands Forum Secretariat Press Release, 24 September 2009
A Joint Technical Working Group (JTWG) Meeting between the Pacific ACP (PACP) Trade and Legal Officials and European Commission Officials is being held in Brussels, Belgium from 23 September to 03 October, 2009. The objective of this meeting is to advance discussions on a range of technical issues relating to a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the Pacific ACP (PACP) region and the European Union (EU).
* Concerted action needed now to help stabilize Pacific economies, says ADB
Pacnews, 17 August 2009
Economic growth in the Pacific region in 2009 is expected to dip below earlier forecasts, but will remain positive at 2.8%., says a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) publication released today. The situation remains bleak, however, for the majority Pacific Island economies If the resource-rich nations of Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste are excluded, then economic growth in the Pacific is forecast to contract by 0.4% this year. The second issue of the Pacific Economic Monitor says five Pacific economies – Cook Islands, the Fiji Islands, Palau, Samoa, and Tonga – are projected to contract in 2009, due to weak tourism and remittances.
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III. Selection from the acp-eu-trade.org Library
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* Policy Coherence for Development - Establishing the policy framework for a whole–of–the-Union approach
Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, 15 September 2009
Building on the two first biennial EU Reports on Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) and the call to establish a whole–of–the-Union approach, this Communication looks at the EU's approach to PCD and makes suggestions to the Community and the Member States on how to use PCD in a more targeted, effective and strategic way. Some NGOs have expressed concerns about the fact that ‘the European Union’s policies having the most damaging impact on developing countries, i.e. ‘Global Europe’ strategy on EU access to raw materials, free trade policies and regulated financial transactions are completely out of this new PCD approach (trade is only mentioned as an area having impact on food security).’
* Europe’s economic priorities 2010-2015 Memos to the New Commission
Andre Sapir(ed), Bruegel Memos to the New Commission 2009, August 2009
The current economic crisis has clearly exposed weaknesses in EU governance which need to be addressed. The memos make a number of concrete recommendations of relevance for major economic fields, as well as for the EU and Commission as a whole. The specific recommendations made for the Commissioners for Trade and for Development are presented from pages 86 to 99.
* Options for architectural reform in European Union development cooperation
Mikaela Gavas, Simon Maxwell, ODI Background Note, August 2009
A series of decisions will be taken in the second half of 2009 about the architecture and staffing of the structures of the European Union’s Development Cooperation. This Background Note provides the context to these decisions and explores three possible options on the design of the external relations services of the new Commission.
* Unlocking Global Opportunities: The Aid for Trade Program of the World Bank Group
Richard Newfarmer, Elisa Gamberoni, Jean-Pierre Chauffour and Mariem Malouche, July 2009
Aid for trade is a means to help developing countries, especially low-income countries, integrate into the world economy as a way to spur growth. The recent financial crisis and global recession have, if anything, made aid for trade more urgent. Trade worldwide is likely to contract in 2009. It has become a main channel through which recessionary impulses from the United States and Europe are transmitted to developing countries. But these forces will sooner or later reverse: when growth does resume, trade is likely to be a leading source of demand. Helping countries to take full advantage of the global recovery, whenever it comes, has become a priority for rekindling growth, as well as sustaining rising incomes into the future.
* Implementing Aid for Trade in Latin America and the Caribbean
Inter-American Development Bank, The National and Regional Review Meetings 2008–2009, July 2009
This background paper provides an overview of the AFT initiative, the AFT Roadmap (work plan) for 2009, the monitoring framework, and a description of AFT flows to the LAC countries. It gives an overview of key messages emerging from the responses of LAC countries to the partner-country self-assessment based on the OECD/WTO questionnaire. It also covers South-South cooperation.
* Aid for Trade : Is the EU helping small producers to trade their way out of poverty?
Hilary Jeune, June 2009
The Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO) and the Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO) have issued a new publication entitled ‘Aid for Trade: Is the EU helping small producers to trade their way out of poverty?’
* Aid for Trade in the Asia and the Pacific: An Update
Asian Development Bank, Report to the Second Global Review on Aid for Trade, June 2009
Increased trade has facilitated rapid economic expansion in Asia and the Pacific in recent decades. However, while many Asian economies have benefited tremendously from export-led growth, a group of smaller, low-income countries continues to lag behind. Economic underperformance among this group can be attributed to high trade costs resulting from insufficient infrastructure and a lack of economic competitiveness. The current global economic crisis has only exacerbated this divide within Asia by dimming the growth prospects for small and low-income countries that are dependent upon a narrow set of exports. In this context, the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s support for a strategic approach to boosting trade can play a critical role in the region’s short-term economic recovery and long-term development.
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IV. Resources from Recent Events
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* “Upgrading to compete in a globalised world: what opportunities and challenges for SMEs in agriculture in ACP countries?”
23 September 2009, Brussels, Belgium
-> Programme and Concept Note
* Eastern and Southern Africa-Indian Ocean/European Commission High Level Meeting
14-15 September 2009, Lusaka, Tanzania
-> Declaration
* Second EU-South Africa Summit
11 September 2009, South Africa
-> Press release
-> Joint Statement
* 1st meeting of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EC (CTA) Trade Advisory Group and Partnership Network
9-11 September 2009, Brussels, Belgium
-> Presentations
* ACP Secretariat-CTA Seminar on Geographical Indications: Tools for Development?
9 September 2009, Brussels, Belgium
-> Presentations
* Workshop on the EC-ACP Capacity Building Project on Multilateral Environmental Agreements
11-13 August 2009, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The European Commission under the framework of the 9th EDF is funding the establishment of a capacity building programme related to MEAs in ACP Countries: the EC ACP MEAs Programme.
-> Press release, African Union
-> Concept Note
* Seminar on Market Access for Caribbean Service Suppliers in Europe under the EPA
30-31 July 2009, The Bahamas
-> Press release and presentations
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V. Resources on Upcoming Events
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* EU - Pacific Technical and Senior Officials' Meeting
23 September-2 October 2009, Brussels, Belgium
* ESA-EC Business Forum
27-28 September 2009, Mauritius
-> Agenda and presentation materials
* 3rd EU-Africa Business Forum on Trade and Regional Integration, Entrepreneurship, Infrastructure and ICT
28-29 September 2009, Nairobi, Kenya
-> Concept Note
* 17th Session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade
30 September - 1 October, Brussels
* EU-Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Technical and Senior Officials' Meeting
Beginning of October, Lusaka
* Africa-EU Workshop on Resources for the implementation of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy
5-7 October 2009, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
* Civil Society Dialogue on Development Aspects of Economic Partnership Agreements
12 October 2009, Brussels, Belgium
-> Agenda and registration (by 9 October)
* Conference on Complying with WTO Law in the EU: Legal Framework, Regulatory Restrictions and Enforcement
12-13 October 2009, Trier, Germany
-> Announcement and registration
-> Conference programme
* 13th Africa-EU Ministerial Troika meeting
14 October 2009, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
* ECOWAS-EU Ministerial Meeting
15-16 October 2009, Abuja, Nigeria
* European Development Days
22-24 October 2009, Stockholm, Sweden
-> Registration
-> Agenda
* Meeting of CARIFORUM-EC Joint Council under EPA
26 October 2009, location tbc
* 4th ACP-EU Joint Regional Parliamentary Meeting
28-30 October 2009, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
-> Conference Information