Struggle over EU trade deals continues

Governments and campaigners in poor countries continue to resist the EU's push for highly damaging trade deals.

Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are trade deals with countries in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) region.

After drawn-out negotiations since 2002, they are still being opposed, including by a large number of African governments.

EPAs are the first of a new wave of trade deals planned with poor countries.

They will open up ACP markets to goods, services and investment from big EU companies, and could:

• Damage livelihoods, jobs and the environment in ACP countries.
• Undermine sustainable development and progress towards the Millennium Development Goals

Further agreements with another 34 countries in Asia and Latin America are also on the cards.

Despite tremendous pressure from the EU to sign the deals, many countries are still holding out.

The deadline to complete the agreements is now postponed to the end of 2008.

Campaigners across the ACP region continue to highlight the likely damaging impacts of EPAs.

They are calling on their governments to stop the negotiations.

Africa Trade Network

At a recent meeting of the Africa Trade Network (ATN), members stated clearly that they do not believe EPAs are concerned with African development.

Instead, EPAs are driven by the aims of Europe's ‘Global Europe' strategy.

The deals are aimed at increasing access for EU companies to raw materials and markets overseas.

ATN warned that it was highly unwise for African governments to be entering into such damaging, fixed, long-term agreements. 

Especially as the devastating impacts of the global energy and food crisis will hit poor countries hardest. 

ATN called for continued resistance to EPAs, including to the EU's attempts to draw African countries into fuller, more far-reaching deals.

A better trade vision for Europe

Friends of the Earth is joining global calls for the EU to:

• Stop unfair trade deals with Africa, Asia and Latin America
• Prioritise development, environmental protection and human rights in its trade policy.
• Make trade policy-making  more transparent and democratic.

October will see us join forces with other Trade Justice Movement groups in a new campaign to tackle Global Europe.

Resource

Africa Trade Network
ATN is the broadest, longest -standing network of African social, labour, women's, faith-based, developmental, environmental, farmers, human rights and other organisations, dealing with the role and effects of international trade and trade agreements in Africa.

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