Two leading development agencies called on African countries to adopt a common stand opposing the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), according to a press release here Sunday amid African Union (AU)'s pre-summit meetings.
"The AU must work to ensure that all the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), not just ECOWAS, are consistent with its position. Currently only Ecowas has a clear position on opposing EPAs," Action Aid International Director for West and Central Africa Amanor-Wilks said.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries, founded on May 28, 1975.
"EPAs are the greatest threat to Africa's trade and development path. The level of poverty, marginalization and injustice does not allow Africa to enter into agreements that further undermine its development. EPAs are simply not in Africa's interest," said Oxfam's Pan-Africa police officer Marianne Tounkara.
The organizations called on those countries that have initialed agreements not to implement the provisions and not to sign full agreements at the end of the year. They further called on all RECs to take positions on EPAs that are consistent with AU policy.
The EPA agreements were expected to come into force on Dec. 31,2007 in order to replace the preferential trade regime between the European Union and African, Caribbean, Pacific countries, which has been denounced by the World Trade Organization (WTO) as illegal.
After failing in its bid to clinch a collective agreement with the African continent, the EU moved to negotiate and conclude interim agreements with a number of countries separately. The deadline of EPAs negotiations have been postponed to 2008.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article