African civil society slam EU over its pressure on trade deal

A coalition of African civil society organizations on Thursday called on the European Commission to stop pressuring Africa to agree new trade deals by the end of the year, warning that the current proposals would have very damaging implications for development.

In a statement issued after two-day consultations in Nairobi, more than 40 organizations including Oxfam International and ActionAid said the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) would wreck domestic African agriculture and industries.

"The implication is that there are no other alternatives, but this is not the case," said Luis Morago of Oxfam International.

"What is lacking is political will from the EU. Instead of actively seeking ways to extend the deadline and ensure development-friendly deals, they are turning the screws on the African countries, and pushing them into agreements that will hurt poor farmers and undermine future industrial development," Morago added.

The organizations' warning follows a meeting of UN experts, African trade ministers, and civil society representatives in Nairobi on Monday and Tuesday, in which a review of EPAs was discussed.

They said the review, carried out by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and endorsed by the AU trade ministers, concluded that none of the four African regions have sufficient information or are adequately prepared to finalize deals in time for the official deadline of Dec. 31, 2007.

It also raises strong concerns about the capacity of developing countries to implement EPAs and highlights an "alarming lack of transparency" in the negotiations, the organizations said.

The EPAs should be signed before early 2008 between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East and Southern African grouping COMESA.

The EU's 2007 deadline marks the expiry of the waiver authorizing the EU to offer preferential access to ACP products.

The coalition said despite the clearly articulated concerns of African negotiators and observers on content and process, and a stated commitment that no country would be compelled to sign an EPA, the EC has been playing hardball over recent weeks, refusing to grant extra time, and issuing warnings about the negative results of not signing.

They said West African and Central African negotiators were told last week by EU that higher import duties would be re-imposed if EPAs were not concluded by Dec. 31, 2007.

In addition, they said, promises of aid are being made conditional on the agreement of an EPA.

However, the Cotonou agreement clearly states that no ACP country should be worse off as a result of the negotiations.

"This is tantamount to blackmail. The EU has committed to ensuring that alternatives to EPAs are discussed, and that no country will be compelled to sign," said Bibiane Mbaye of Enda. " However, now they are using the looming deadline to force countries into agreements that could be economically devastating."

Although the European and African NGOs acknowledge that in principle regional integration can promote growth, they point out that the process is still at an early stage in most ACP regions and warn that therefore opening to EU imports before these markets are consolidated will undermine integration rather than support it.

The coalition urged the EC to stop bullying developing countries into submission and instead work with them to overcome the obstacles to a mutually acceptable proposal.

It also urged member states to pay more attention to the un- transparent way in which EPAs are being negotiated and the potentially negative impacts for development.

"Member States should ensure that the Commission extends trade preferences at the end of 2007 if EPA negotiations have not been concluded," they said.

"Member States should ensure countries have sufficient information on the impact of an EPA to make an informed and pro- development decision and that alternatives to EPAs are fully explored," they recommended.

Source: Xinhua