ACP dialogue on legal and systemic issues in the EPAs Followed by a regional consultation on some negotiations pending in West Africa
13th April 2009 • Co-organised with enda Tiers Monde
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The year 2007 was very substantial for new developments in the EPA negotiations. December 31st of this year marked the end of the Doha waiver granted to the EU and ACP countries in the WTO
to extend the grant of non-reciprocal trade preferences. Ultimately, the Caribbean and the Economic Community of East Africa have signed the EPA regional. Elsewhere, in the absence of
regional agreement, several countries have chosen to sign EPAs individual to preserve their access to European markets. This is especially true in developing countries such as Cameroon or
Ivory Coast, which in fact fell in the GSP with the end of the derogation in Doha. Other countries, was part of LDCs such as Burundi or Rwanda, have also decided to sign the interim
EPAs, as they were able to retain access to the duty-free and quota-free European market. This has involved a range of trade regimes in all the ACP regions negotiating with the EU. These signed individual EPAs contain provisions which suggest that future regional EPAs will be reproduced in an essentially identical manner. This synergy between EPA and individual EPA Regional reveals three major problems which already appear in the ongoing negotiations. These issues are not related to the themes of international trade, but are cross-related elements in the international trading system. They are at the center of any regional trade agreement such as the EPA.
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