EPAs: Partnership or power play?
Europe is negotiating new trade deals, called "Economic Partnership Agreements" (EPAs) with African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries. A true partnership in trade could radically transform the lives of one-third of all people living in poverty, providing farmers and small businesses with sustainable incomes and workers with decent jobs. But Europe is choosing power politics over partnership.
Oxfam recommends:
- A thorough independent evaluation of what has been initialled before any deal is signed
- Adaptation of existing EU preference schemes to ensure that no ACP country is left worse off if it doesn’t conclude an EPA
- Renegotiation of problematic aspects of the initialled deals
- ACP countries decide whether to negotiate on services, investment and other trade-related issues
- Additional support from the EU to tackle infrastructure and competitiveness constraints in the ACP
- ACP countries take stock within their regional blocs, fully consulting all affected parties including workers, producers and businesses.
Read the report: Partnership or Power Play? How Europe should bring development into its trade deals with African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries
Read the press release: Oxfam: rethink unfair EU trade deals before it’s too late
