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| Demand 7: STOP ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS AND OTHER BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS The future development of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries risks being seriously undermined by the inequitable bilateral Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) currently under negotiation between the EU and ACP countries, warns S2B: |
| The EU’s proposals for EPAs include trade liberalisation demands that go far beyond anything currently discussed within the WTO, hence leading to deep and dramatic market opening by ACP countries within a very short time-period, possibly within 10 to 15 years.
In addition, the EU is pushing for trade negotiations in areas that ACP countries have long opposed in the WTO (eg.: the Singapore issues). This is undercutting ACP countries’ negotiating positions at the WTO and will deepen poverty in ACP countries. Demand 7 The EU must drop its demand for reciprocal trade liberalisation, exclude the Singapore issues and urgently honour its commitment to provide ACP countries with viable non-reciprocal alternatives to EPAs, in parallel to EPA negotiations in 2005. |
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