ADECARIM

*La négociation des APE: Etat des lieux
ECDPM, dernière mise à jour : 3 mars 2008
Pour une vue d’ensemble des accords paraphés ainsi que l’état des lieux des négociations dans chaque région, visitez notre page spéciale : www.acp-eu-trade.org/ape 

From our News section:
*Sources indicate that the EC plans on completing EDF Regional Indicative Programmes (RIPs) in September.  Draft RIPs would be shared with EU Member States in April and the EPA Regional Preparatory Task Forces (RPTFs) would be ongoing region by region with meetings open to EU Member States.

*The EC would like to have regional aid for trade packages in place by the end of the year.  The EC is expected to produce a staff working document on aid for trade soon.

*Public consultation for an EC Communication on Regional Integration in ACP countries will take place from early March to early May, with a view to adopting the EC Communication in September. -> see Recent events: * Event:European Parliament Development Committee, 3 March 2008, discussion on the upcoming communication

*ECDPM is actively seeking to work with regional organisations on implementation of the EPAs
At this stage, and from a more technical point of view, we believe it is important for the African regions to systematically and thoroughly exchange on the content of the texts of the agreements on the table, in order to eventually import better formulated or more advantageous clauses from another text into their own.
In order to better grasp the challenges ahead, ECDPM and ODI are conducting a comparative analysis of the content of the agreements and their impact on the regions and countries concerned.  The joint study, financed by the Dutch Ministry for Foreign Affairs (DGIS/DDE), will also examine the possible scenarios for the way forward, from both a development and regional integration point of view, drawing on some of the lessons learned from the EPA negotiation process. The implications for aid modalities for the coming years will also be looked into. The report should be available in the second half of March.
As a facilitator, ECDPM is happy to support relevant activities in the aftermath of the initialling of interim EPAs and the way forward, and can help organise meetings to that end or facilitate contacts between ACP and EU key stakeholders. Please don't hesitate to let us know how we could best support you on this.

From ACP and EU news providers:

**    All-ACP    **

* How Europe Lost Africa 
Dominic Johnson, Spiegel Online International, 28 February 2008 
The pressure exerted by the European Union on African governments to sign new free trade deals, the continuing crisis over illegal migration, and a perceived reluctance of European institutions to engage with their African counterparts have created the impression that Europe is an unreliable partner for an Africa seeking to redefine its place in the world order. This crisis of mutual perception between Europe and Africa is real and, with hindsight, 2007 may come to be regarded as the year of missed opportunities -- the year when Europe finally lost the preeminence it once had in Africa.

*Les Ape ont « blanchi Â» le dumping de l’Union européenne
Gérard Choplin, Coordonnateur de la Coordination paysanne européenne, in Le Quotidien, Dakar, Sénégal, 27 février 2008
Interpellé à Bruxelles au moment où la Commission européenne est parvenue à convaincre certains pays Acp à signer des Ape intermédiaires, le leader paysan européen explique que ces accords sont autant rejetés par les paysans d’Europe qu’ils sont vomis par ceux des pays du Sud. Il ajoute à son refus des Ape, celui de voir des produits alimentaires servir à produire du carburant. Ses propos ont le poids d’une personne qui s’exprime au nom d’une vingtaine d’organisations paysannes, représentées dans une quinzaine de pays d’Europe, et regroupant plusieurs dizaines de milliers de membres. Et la crédibilité d’un des dirigeants de Via Campesina, organisation regroupant des structures paysannes du Nord comme du Sud.

* AU writes to José Manuel Barroso to ask for immediate resumption of negotiations on EPA at highest level
Agence Europe / groups.google.com, 22 February 2008 
The African group of ambassadors to Brussels has welcomed the appeal launched by the African Union (AU) to reopen, at the highest level and without delay, discussions on the economic partnerships agreements (EPA), in line with the conclusions of the EU/Africa Summit of Lisbon last December. To date, however, there is nothing to indicate that on the European side, preparations to implement the promise made in Lisbon are picking up speed. 

* EU: Deals with Africa a ‘PR disaster’
David Cronin, IPS, 26 February 2008 
Thirty-five of almost 80 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries have so far signed Economic Partnership Agreements with the EU. The accords commit ACP states to removing most tariffs they levy on imported goods. Klaus Rudischhauser, director of ACP relations in the European Commission, said that the EU executive had always viewed these agreements as positive tools for economic development. "I'm still convinced that they are, but the problem has been a huge communications failure," he added.

* EPAs Born of EU’s Concern with China in Africa 
Miriam Mannak, IPS, 26 February 2008 
The European Union (EU) is concerned about competing with China for access to resources and markets in Africa, which partly explains its drive to hook African states into the trade deals called economic partnership agreements (EPAs). According to Dr Rob Davies, South Africa’s deputy minister of trade and industry, the EU is afraid that it will lose its foothold on the African continent and wants to prevent this at all cost.

* EU EPAs Could Inhibit South-South Trade Integration, Brazil Alleges
BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest - Vol. 12, Number 6, ICTSD, 20 February 2008
Brazil has alleged that a clause in the EU's recent trade agreements with several former colonies could discourage these countries, among the world's poorest, from pursuing deeper trade integration with other developing nations. This would run counter to a WTO principle aimed at increasing poor countries' participation in global commerce, Brazil claims, adding that it sits uneasily with the EU's oft-stated commitment to promoting South-South trade.
-> see * Statement by Brazilat the WTO General Council Meeting, 5 February 2008