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EU Commissioners Mandelson and Michel urge anti-poverty campaigners to back Economic Partnership Agreements

Sommaire: 27 September 2007, Brussels - In an open letter to anti-poverty campaigners, Commissioners Mandelson and Michel have urged them to support the EU's Economic Partnership Agreements with African, Caribbean and Pacific regions.

In the letter Mandelson and Michel set out the arguments for a new approach to trade relations between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific regions. They argue that the WTO's end-of-year deadline for agreeing new arrangements cannot be missed if Europe and the ACP are to ensure that ACP countries retain the best possible access to the EU market, without fear of legal challenge from non-ACP developing countries.

Mandelson and Michel set out clearly that the EU is not threatening ACP countries with tariff rises if the two sides are unable to agree on new arrangements by the end of the year. However, the legal alternatives to a new agreement are less generous than the current system, which is challenged by non-ACP developing countries and must end in 2008. The priority for both sides is to avoid tariff rises by signing new agreements that preserve current advantages, are legal under WTO law and fair to developing countries as a whole.

They write: "Certainly, the EPA negotiations force us to face up to difficult issues. We are rebuilding an economic relationship that has been in place for many years. But that relationship, based on preferences and commodity trade has largely failed to deliver development. No one believes the status quo is working. Africa's dependence on trade preferences and a few basic commodities has seen it fall far behind the poverty reduction and economic growth of Asia and Latin America. Calling for an end to EPA negotiations when there is no credible alternative is playing poker with the livelihoods of those we are trying to help."

To see the letter and other information on trade and EPAs http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/index_en.htm

To see the letter and other information on development and EPAs http://ec.europa.eu/development/index_en.cfm

  • Ref: EC07-218EN
  • Source UE: Commission Européenne
  • UN forum: 
  • Date: 27/9/2007


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Etats Membres de l'Union Européenne