The European Union has been negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements with the ACP countries since 27 September 2002. EPAs are meant to be “instruments for development” furthering poverty reduction, sustainable development, regional integration and integration into the world economy. Nevertheless, the negotiations have been fraught with disagreements and difficulties and, except in the case of the Caribbean, they did not come to a conclusion at the foreseen end date of 31 December 2007. Instead, a series of interim agreements on the liberalisation of trade in goods were initialled with individual or small groups of ACP countries, creating rifts in the ACP regions. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by epawatchers 
