EU nations were pushing former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) regions on Tuesday to step up economic reforms and to complete negotiations with the EU on new regional free trade pacts by the end of 2007.
Meanwhile, aid groups urged the EU not to bully poorer nations to sign the trade deals, which activists fear could damage development efforts.
In an open letter Claire Melamed from ActionAid, Babatunde Olugboji from Christian Aid, Phil Bloomer of Oxfam, Paul Cook of Tearfund, Glen Tarman from the Trade Justice Movement and Michael Gidney of Traidcraft wrote that “the EU proposals include trade liberalization that goes far beyond what is being negotiated at the WTO, and demand commitments in other areas such as investment”.
The letter, published in “The Guardian”, went on:
“Future economic growth, millions of livelihoods and the environment are at risk. The current proposals will undermine poverty reduction. Yet if poor countries do not sign they risk losing critical trade preferences. The EU is insisting on the end-of-year deadline and refusing to discuss alternatives. No trade deal should require the ACP to open their markets in return for preferences they already have, or require negotiation on new issues such as investment”.
“In the past the UK has voiced concern about the process and content of Economic Partnership Agrement negotiations. Now more than ever their intervention matters. The UK and other member states must listen to the concerns of ACP ministers. They must engage in these talks and use their influence to stop European commissioners and their technocrats from forcing unfair free-trade deals upon poor countries”.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
