S. Africa says "serious issues" remain in EU talks
Reuters | 12 Dec 2007
S.Africa says "serious issues" remain in EU talks
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) — South Africa said on Wednesday that "serious issues" needed to be addressed in African nations’ trade talks with the European Union, but it did not rule out the possibility of reaching a comprehensive deal.
The EU is pressing the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of former colonies to agree to Economic Partnership Agreements by December 31, when the EU’s decades-old preferential trade deals for those countries must be brought into line with World Trade Organisation rules.
For African countries to continue to get tariff-free access to the European Union for their goods, they must also agree to open their markets to European exports. But South Africa and several others have voiced concerns.
"Many countries have not reached agreement and even those that have concluded interim arrangements indicated their concerns at the emerging outcome," South African Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa said in a statement.
Mpahlwa, however, said South Africa endorsed the idea of addressing Africa’s concerns in another phase of trade negotiations in 2008 and said a deal could be concluded if all parties agreed to iron out the problems.
"There are nevertheless serious issues that would need to be addressed in a positive manner," Mpahlwa said.
