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ECOWAS

Economic Community Of West African States

West Africa: Traders reject EPA
18-Aug-2009 AllAfrica.com
The National Association of Nigerian Traders have voiced concerns over what it calls inflexibility on the part of the European Union in the ongoing negotiations between it and the Economic Community of West Africa States over the Economic Partnership Agreement.
Ghana to sign EPA in October
13-Aug-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.
EPA October deadline may be missed
26-Jun-2009 GNA
Dr Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, Trade Programme Co-ordinator for Civil Society Organizations in West Africa, is sure that negotiations would probably continue till January 2010 since both the EU and ECOWAS had not agreed on the percentage of the market they intend to be liberalized.
West Africa: Regional EPA targets October
26-Jun-2009 AllAfrica.com
The European Union and the West African countries have agreed to conclude a regional agreement on trade in goods and development cooperation by October 2009.
Europe’s abusive EPA condemned as it tears Africa apart
5-Jun-2009 Afrik.com
Now, Africans are hitting back at Europe
ECOWAS, EU free trade agreement on a cliff hanger
27-May-2009 The Guardian
There were strong indications last week that the free trade agreement between Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union may not be signed before its subsisting deadline-June 30th 2009 because of the need to protect the collective regional interest of ECOWAS States.
ECOWAS gives fresh terms for free trade with EU
20-May-2009 Guardian
Forty days to the June 30, 2009 signing of the free trade agreement between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU), the sub-Saharan bloc has raised fresh issues that need to be resolved before the pact is sealed.
Report: Plummeting profits drive tomato farmers to suicide
20-Apr-2009 Modern Ghana
With cross-border price-undercutting, mounting debt and a lack of buyers, many tomato farmers in Ghana’s Upper East Region are turning to suicide. Yet with European Union Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) currently being negotiated, West African markets are about to be flooded with heavily subsidised EU products
26 African states sign free trade area agreement
10-Apr-2009
Twenty six African countries seeking to merge their economies into a single trading bloc that controls a combined wealth of $ 624m and a market of 527m people moved to a definitive stage after their leaders approved plans to establish a free trade area early this week.
West Africa: Don’t Conclude Regional EPA in June 2009 -Gapto
31-Mar-2009
Members of the Ghana Agricultural Producers and Traders Organisation (GAPTO) have called on the governments of the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) not to conclude the Regional Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with European Union (EU) in June, this year.
Nigeria gets 600 million euros EU grant for trade and regional integration
14-Feb-2009
The European Commission (EC) will give Nigeria 600 million euros to assist it in the areas of trade and regional integration, the head of the EC delegation to Nigeria, Mr. Dennis Theulin said here Friday.
’Unrealistic timetable hinders Ecowas’ conclusion on EPA’
10-Dec-2008
West Africa civil society platform of the Economic Partnership Agreement has said unrealistic timetable constituted the main constraint facing the Economic Community of West African States in reaching a conclusion on the agreement.
ECOWAS civil society groups kick against trade deals with EU
26-Aug-2008 GNA
Civil society organisations have asked governments of ECOWAS countries to suspend all trade-related negotiations with the EU.
Ecowas: EU policy supersedes Ghana’s interim EPA deal
8-Jul-2008 Myjoyonline
Ghana would by September next year cease to adhere to the rules and conditions of the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement that it signed with the European Commission in December 2007 when the ECOWAS-EU policy comes into force.
Why Nigeria refused to sign EPA - ECOWAS
8-Jul-2008 Leadership Nigeria
The ECOWAS Trade Commissioner, Mohammed Daramy, has given some of the many reasons why Nigeria refused to sign the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) which deadline expired on December 31, 2007.
Nigeria "threatens" neighbours in wake of bilateral EPAs
2-Jun-2008 IPS
West African states are working at salvaging regional relations with a renewed attempt to collectively negotiate an economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union.
Ecowas EPA - the facts and the falacies
22-Jan-2008 AllAfrica.com
From Ken Ukaoha, National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS)
West Africa bloc aims for EU trade deal by June ’09
18-Dec-2007 Reuters
West African countries agreed on Monday on an 18-month timetable to negotiate and sign a regional economic partnership agreement with Europe by June 2009, top officials said.
Ghana joins rush to secure EU trade
13-Dec-2007 The Guardian
Ghana signed an interim trade deal with the European Union on Thursday, joining a rush among poor countries to safeguard exports to the world’s biggest trading bloc after preferential terms expire at the end of the year.
Ivory Coast initials interim trade deal with EU
10-Dec-2007 Reuters
Ivory Coast inked an interim trade accord with the European Union on Friday as the bloc pushes for deals with as many former European colonies as possible before preferential trade terms expire on December 31. The top cocoa producer is the first West African country to sign a bilateral deal, breaking ranks with the region’s ECOWAS economic community.