Be a voice for trade justice

Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are bilateral trade agreements the European Union (EU) has been negotiating with 76 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. These replace longstanding preferential trade agreements between these countries for products such as sugar and bananas. Read more about Economic Partnership Agreements from Traidcraft. 

Under EPAs, in return for wider market access, the EU is demanding these countries open up a range of their industries to international businesses, which could prevent the development of domestic businesses. Some developing countries, such as Malawi, are so concerned by this that they have refused to sign even an interim deal. Currently, just under half of the ACP countries have initialled interim trade deals following intense pressure from the EU. However, there is still time for these countries to renegotiate better terms of trade.

In 2005, the UK Government issued a position statement on EPAs saying it believed poor countries should not be forced to liberalise their economies. But that's exactly what's happening. We need the UK Government to use its influence with the European Commission to open up the initialled EPAs for renegotiation.

Send a message to Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development, asking that the UK Government supports the calls for renegotiation.

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Dear Douglas Alexander I am very concerned to hear that the European Commission is intent on extending the new trade deals recently initialled with poor countries to include issues that will damage their ability to develop and overcome poverty. I urge the UK Government to publicly call for the European Commission and member states to: 1. ensure the EC's President Barroso acts on the assurances he gave poor countries that the EPAs initialled so far can be opened up for renegotiation 2. refrain from pushing for the inclusion of services, investment, competition, government procurement and intellectual property in EPAs.

 

Yours sincerely,
 

 

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