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Scenarios for West African Region EPA Negotiations
This publication presents four possible outcomes of current trade negotiations to establish an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the West African Region and the EU. The variety of economic interests and capacities that comprise the complex position of the West African Region, which includes 16 countries, has made efforts to complete EPA negotiations with the EU challenging. The four scenarios, constructed by 20 experts from 10 countries-all closely involved with the negotiations, illustrate the options available to the region and the impacts and consequences resulting from the pursuit of any one course of action. The scenarios consider the regional impacts of full trade liberalisation, partial trade liberalisation agreement, three separate EPAs with no integration, and no trade agreement. The scenarios aim to encourage a broader discussion of the options while assisting efforts to preserve and advance regional integration while ensuring continued access to European markets. June 2009. To view this publication, see: Scenarios for West African Region EPA Negotiations, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung June 2009, http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/benin/06493.pdf
Turning African Agriculture into a Business June 2009.
Africa-Europe business relations in the agriculture and agribusiness sectors are the focus of this OECD report. Agribusiness remains in its infancy in most sub-Saharan African countries, many of which now pay higher prices for imported food products and struggle to keep inflationary pressures under control. Given the strong long-term prospect for world food prices, the paper argues that increasing food crop productivity should be a top priority. But this requires sizeable investments. Greater involvement of the private sector in designing and implementing such food-crop commercialisation programmes could develop viable local food industries, the authors contend. The continuous and effective support of the international development community is also needed. To view this publication, see: Turning African Agriculture into a Business, OECD, June 2009, www.oecd.org/dataoecd/58/56/42987772.pdf?contentId=42987773
G8 Summit “L’Aquila” Joint Statement on Global Food Security
The heads of state as well as government, international and regional organisations approved the L’Aquila Initiative on Global Food Security on 10 July 2009. Their objective is to invest US$20 billion in three years to encourage rural development in developing countries. The fund’s initial investment will be US$15 million. The declaration comes at a time when the combined effects of long-standing underinvestment in agriculture, price volatility and the economic crisis have led to increased poverty and hunger in developing countries. According to the UN, the number of malnourished people has risen over the past two years, reversing a four-decade trend of declines. The announcement was an opportunity for leaders to further promote the development of a global partnership focused on agriculture and food security with the aim of prioritising the importance of agriculture on the international agenda, launching new investments and improving the efficiency of aid programs and regional coordination by involving all the partners. Every country represented in L’Aquila subscribed to the initiative. To view the joint statement, see: http://www.g8italia2009.it/static/G8_Allegato/LAquila_Joint_Statement_on_Global_Food_Security%5B1%5D,0.pdf
EU, South Korea Conclude FTA Talks
Officials from South Korea and the European Union have concluded free trade talks and expect to finalise the deal before the end of 2009. The pact, which analysts say could be worth up to US$100 billion, would be Seoul’s largest bilateral trade agreement to date and would mark Brussels’ first such deal with a major Asian economy. The two sides have been working toward a trade deal since 2007, but the negotiations hit a few stumbling blocks along the way. Particularly controversial topics included the discussions on auto imports and rules of origin. If the deal with the EU goes through, it could put significant pressure on the US to ratify its own free trade deal with Seoul. Negotiations for such an agreement were concluded in April 2007, but the US Senate has failed to ratify it, largely out of some lawmakers’ concerns over the impact it might have on the US auto industry, which is paying close attention to the EU-South Korea deal.
News Sources
“EU, South Korea Conclude FTA Talks,” Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest, 15 July 2009.
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