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France seeks greater flexibility with Africa
24-May-2008
France, the forthcoming holder of the European Union’s rotating presidency, has asked that the bloc display greater flexibility in talks aimed at reaching free trade accords with Africa.
Pacts with developed nations to take Indian trade into new era
24-May-2008
India is currently negotiating preferential trade and investment agreements with some developed countries - the European Union, Japan and Korea.
Syria-EU relations need review
23-May-2008 Gulf News
Syria remains the only partner out of the nine other Mediterranean countries under the Barcelona process who hasn’t signed an association agreement with the EU.
EU wants provinces on board before talks start
22-May-2008 Embassy Magazine
After years of exploring the feasibility of a free trade agreement with the European Union, Canadian politicians and officials are now turning their attention to the next Canada-EU summit, in Montreal in October, as the venue for finally launching official talks.
EU urges India to offer more in bilateral trade talks
21-May-2008
The European Commission called on India on Tuesday to go further with its plans to open up its economy to European exports under a planned bilateral trade deal between the two trade powers.
The EPA conundrum
21-May-2008
There are strident calls for the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), due to be signed by Cariforum in July, to be amended, varied or simply not signed. Any possible renegotiation of the treaty, it is acknowledged, might come at a potentially intolerable cost.
Whither regional integration?
21-May-2008
As a result of the free trade agreements with the European Union, called economic partnership agreements, regional integration in Southern Africa is in tatters. The question arises: what kind of integration would engender broad-based development?
People’s Summit: Linking Alternatives III declaration
21-May-2008 Radio Mundo Real
We reject the project of Association Agreements proposed by the European Union and backed by diverse Latin American and Caribbean governments which only aim to deepen and perpetuate the current system of domination which has caused so much harm to our peoples.
Venezuela proposes food crisis fund at controversial trans-Atlantic summit
21-May-2008 Venezuela Analysis
Of primary emphasis at the summit were the EU’s trade deals, termed “association accords,” with South America’s Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and the southern free trade block MERCOSUR.
Nigeria: Country to lose $478.4 million revenue to EPA
21-May-2008 Afrika News Update
The country will lose an average of $478.4 million revenue in 2008 if it implements the degree of import liberalization as demanded by the Europeans through the Economic Partnership Agreement, EPA, a top official of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Chibuzo Nwoke has warned.
Europe aims to build links with Mediterranean neighbors
21-May-2008
A new body should reinvigorate the proposal for a Euro-Mediterranean free trade zone by 2010, a new European Commission document says.
EU-Central America FTA (draft, 2008)
21-May-2008
Don’t be rushed into trade deal with EU, think-tank warns
21-May-2008
Independent think-tank IBON Foundation said that the Philippine government should not rush into negotiations for a partnership cooperation agreement with the European Union.
EU gives cautious welcome to India’s free trade proposals
21-May-2008 Khaleej Times
India has delivered "useful" proposals for a free trade agreement with Europe but a lot of work remains to be done, a European Commission spokesman said Tuesday.
The Commission seeks greater power for European companies’ investing abroad
19-May-2008 Baltic Course
The European Commission is seeking to take more power in regulating deals for the European companies working abroad; first of all in deals concerning protection of investments abroad, a role traditionally undertaken by the EU’s member states in their trade outside the Union-block. Hence, the EU common commercial policy rules might extend to investments, as well.
EU polishes trade talks with Latin America - except Mercosur
19-May-2008 Thaindian News
The European Union brushed up its trade talks with Latin American regional blocs Saturday in Lima, making progress with Mexico, the Andean Community and Central America. But progress with the Mercosur bloc that includes the region’s economic giants of Brazil and Argentina, with Venezuela in the midst of seeking ratification to join, remained stalled.
Biofuels, food and trade top EU-Latin America Summit
19-May-2008 EurActiv
European and Latin American leaders pledged to deepen trade ties between their two regions and tackle global warming and poverty at the fifth EU-Latin America-Caribbean Summit in Lima.
EC’s non-coherent EPA policy on Africa
16-May-2008 New Era
The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) agenda of the European Commission (EC) clearly illustrates the masquerade of its disdainful approach towards Africa in an accelerated disregard for the EU’s coherence policy.
Investment provisions in Economic Partnership Agreements
15-May-2008
This paper examines the investment provisions of the CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement and their implications for development. The paper also clarifies the link between investment provisions in an EPA and existing bilateral investment treaties. It concludes with recommendations for both review of the investment provisions in the CARIFORUM EPA, and for other ACP states that decide to embark on negotiations on investment with the EU.
Rules of Origin and EPAs: What has been agreed? What does it mean? What next?
15-May-2008
This paper provides an analysis on the significance of changes made to rules of origin during the EPA negotiations