Unions call on EU to prolong EPA negotiations

Brussels, 27/09/2007

The reality of many ACP countries today is that they are being required to negotiate simultaneously a regional custom union, a bilateral deal with the EU and a multilateral negotiations process through the World Trade Organisation (WTO),” said John Monks, ETUC General Secretary. “Very few countries in the world would be able to successfully take up such a challenge in five years, and the poorest countries are certainly not in a position to do so.”

The pace of the negotiations between the EU and the six ACP regions (Caribbean, Pacific, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, Central Africa, and Western Africa) is lagging far behind schedule and in virtually all regions, consensus has not yet been reached on crucial aspects of trade liberalisation.

These issues are far too important to be dealt with in a final rush,” said Guy Ryder, ITUC General Secretary. “In order to ensure that EPAs do not undermine ACP economic and social development, decisions need both consensus and a full understanding of their implications.”

The negotiations on EPAs started officially in September 2002 and are scheduled to be finalized on December 31. Although five years may appear a long period for a trade negotiation, it is in fact very short, given the drastic change that EPA introduces in EU-ACP trade relationships.

The ETUC and ITUC are fully aware of the constraints imposed by the WTO waiver whose expiration is scheduled for the end of this year. Nevertheless both trade union bodies believe the European Commission could obtain common assent from WTO membership for an extension of the negotiation period.

- ETUC-ITUC letter to Peter Mandelson