The legal analysis attached outlines § [A] Three clear routes for maintaining market access into the EU after the December deadline without requiring ACP countries to sign a goods-only FTA. (See detailed advice attached on [1] notifying a basic agreement; [2] viability of the GSP plus option; [3] the viability of ACP regions themselves applying for a waiver).

§ [B] The severe limitations to the actual market access being offered to the ACP through the EC’s DFQF offer – because of stricter safeguards.

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The full text of the Legal Advice Prepared by Dr. Lorand Bartels, Trade Lawyer, Cambridge University (Zip file)

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The EU Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson, was recently quoted as refering to Nigeria as ‘an elephant sitting in the middle of the road’ as far as EPA is concerned. This is a response from the National association of Nigerian Traders to Peter Mandelson.

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Prepared for the Commonwealth Secretariat, this reports analyses what were believed to be the latest versions of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) texts in each of the six negotiating regions at the time the reports was written1. It provides a factual snapshot that negotiators can use to help plan their strategy.

Posted by kind permission of the Commnwealth Sectretariat and the authors.

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Access EC proposal  to EU Council

Letter of 25 November 2007 from Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, to Prime Minister Owen Arthur (Barbados), Chairman of the Caribbean Community; and Prime Minister Bruce Golding (Jamaica), Chairman of the Prime Ministerial Subcommittee on External Economic Negotiations; stating that the alternative to concluding an EPA with the European Commission by 12 December 2007 is exporting to the EU under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), which will ‘inevitably involve some trade disruption’.

Click here for Barroso letter

The Jamaican Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade has circularised stakeholders on the ‘state of play’ in the CARICORUM/EC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Negotiations (Ref. No. 55/200/42dated 14^th November 2007). This is a welcome initiative in increasing transparency and assisting public understanding of the implications of the EPA.  These observations are offered as a contribution to the on-going public debate on the EPA..

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Conclusions on EPAs adopted at the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) of the EU on November 20th, 2007; reaffirming its previous commitment that EPAs are to be development instruments supporting regional integration and compatible with WTO rules and endorsing the two-step approach presented by the EC. The first step is to conclude before end 2007 WTO compatible trade in goods agreements including also all other aspects already agreed, and to continue the negotiations in all other areas in 2008 including trade in services, investment and other trade related areas. Also refer to development cooperation provisions to be included in the EPAs.

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A CRNM Associate responds point by point to the ‘Observations’ by Havelock Brewster and Norman Girvan. Reference is made to the points as numbered in the Observations. The views expressed are not the official views of the CRNM.

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Sent to Caricom Heads of Government, November 14, 2007

We the senders of this open letter, members of the academic community, civil society and the business community, are using this medium to appeal to the authorities responsible for the negotiation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and the CARIFORUM Group of countries to make available for public discussion the Draft Agreement on the EPA. We believe that the proposed agreement will have far-reaching and lasting consequences for the development prospects of the region and for the livelihoods of thousands of citizens, including workers, farmers, small and large businesspersons, and consumers…

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