7-Nov-2008
European carmakers have attacked a proposed trade agreement with South Korea, claiming that it is lopsided and sacrifices their interests for the benefit of Europe’s services industries.
7-Nov-2008
Foreign Ministers from all 43 states of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership, known as the Barcelona Process, met in Marseille on Monday and Tuesday to endorse plans for the mandate, structure and institutional governance of the process. The initiative, launched at the Paris Summit in July, aims at injecting a renewed political momentum into the EU’s relations with the Mediterranean states through the reinforcement of shared ownership and the achievement of wider visibility through a far-reaching program of projects.
5-Nov-2008
Botswana is cautiously optimistic about the on going Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) that are being negotiated between the European Union and the Southern African Development Community, despite some snags.
5-Nov-2008
Developing countries negotiating with the European Union for an economic partnership agreement (EPA) or a free trade agreement should apply for "GSP-Plus" status with the EU, Kenya Civil Society activists say.
2-Nov-2008
Presidents of Andean Community, or CAN, member countries met in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Oct. 14 as part of an urgent effort to rescue derailed group talks for a trade agreement with the European Union. Talks stalled in June for the trade pact after the European Union agreed to negotiate the accord separately with Colombia and Peru, as both countries are governed by pro-free trade presidents, unlike the presidents of fellow CAN countries Ecuador and Bolivia.
2-Nov-2008
The Civil Society Network of St Lucia (CSNS) has criticised the decision of Prime Minister Stephenson King to sign the controversial Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe.
2-Nov-2008
Technical issues and demands by the EU such as the automatic extension to the EC of future trade benefits given to third countries, export taxes, the integrity of the common external tariff of Sacu, the movement of goods between members of the proposed free trade area and infant industry protection are Sacu’s major concerns.
2-Nov-2008
Coinciding with the signing in Barbados on October 15 of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the CARIFORUM countries (Caricom plus the Dominican Republic) was a Joint Declaration that resulted from an initiative by Guyana as a compromise for its decision to also be a signatory to the accord. Professor Norman Girvan examines "the significance" of this mandatory review as provided for in the Joint Declaration.
1-Nov-2008
A ’white document’ meant to facilitate negotiations between regional economic blocs and the European Union (EU) under the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) has been finalised.
31-Oct-2008
The Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) council of ministers is gathering in Windhoek today for a meeting that is likely to be dominated by the acrimonious Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations with the European Union (EU).
30-Oct-2008
Eurochambres
Joint statement from business representatives of both the EU and the GCC, dated 29 October 2008
29-Oct-2008
Bahrain yesterday exuded confidence that its current talks with Germany would expedite the signing of the much-delayed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the six-nation Gulf Cooperation nations and the 27-nation European Union that has eluded them for close to 20 years.
29-Oct-2008
GCC Secretary General H.E. Abdurrahman bin Hamad Al-Attiyah laid the responsibility on the European Union for obstructing the conclusion of the free trade agreement between the two sides which was signed in 1988 despite the developed economic and cultural bilateral relations during the last two centuries.
28-Oct-2008
The European Union has publicly assured Pacific island nations they are not at a disadvantage if they do not sign Economic Partnership Agreements.
28-Oct-2008
New Zealand aid agency Oxfam is unconvinced by the European Union’s claims that forming Economic Partnership Agreements, or EPAs, will be in the best interests of the Pacific nations who choose to sign up.
26-Oct-2008
Trade ministers from South Korea and the European Union (EU) are expected to meet in Brussels early next month to iron out divisive issues related to their free trade negotiations, officials said Sunday.
25-Oct-2008
The Pacific ACP States have reaffirmed their commitment to continue the negotiations of an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union “as a single region” based on existing negotiating positions as agreed last March.
25-Oct-2008
Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has told European Union delegates his government will solve Thailand’s political crisis through democratic means to ensure the country’s planned megaprojects can proceed.
25-Oct-2008
The Pacific members of the African Caribbean and Pacific group of nations that rely on aid assistance from the European Union say they will continue to push for a single Economic Partnership Agreement, or EPA, for the region.
25-Oct-2008
It should come as no surprise that Namibian Trade and Industry Minister Hage Geingob and European Union Ambassador Elizabeth Pape almost came to verbal blows this week.
