The European Commission’s (EC) negotiation of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the ACP group of countries in regional groupings signify a shift from aid and preferential, non-reciprocal trade relationships reciprocal trade liberalization based on neo-liberal principles, with financial assistance in a subordinate role. This has fuelled concerns that ACP development may be subordinated to trade liberalization. The benchmarks approach consists of the identification of methods by which to measure the developmental effect of EPAs. The study applies the method to the CARIFORUM by examining the feasibiliy of developing benchmarks developed that cover the categories of (a) Market Access and Fair Trade; (b) Policy spaces within the EPA commitments for promoting the competitiveness of CARIFORUM productive sectors, growth with equity and sustainable development; and (c) Access to development support for realizing these objectives. 

Posted with the kind permission of ICSTD and APRODEV 

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