EU, Central Africa trade talks drag on

BRUSSELS – EU talks aimed at striking trade deals with Central African countries before the end of the year may drag on for several more weeks as the two sides set up a “task force” to plan the way ahead, officials said yesterday.

The European Union hopes to sign Economic Partnership Agreements, or EPAs, with six regional groupings of ex-colonies before a World Trade Organisation waiver on its preferential trade measures for them expires on Dec 31. EPAs are designed to replace a series of existing trade arrangements that give African, Caribbean and Pacific states preferential access to EU markets.These preferences have to be scrapped to conform to WTO principles.No deals have yet been signed – and time is running out.Representatives of the Central Africa grouping met trade experts from the European Commission, which negotiates foreign trade for the EU’s 27 member states, in Brussels this week.Again, no agreement was reached and the talks will continue.”We’re setting up a joint task force with the Central African countries to see how we can reach the joint objective of agreeing an EPA,” one Commission official said.Anti-poverty campaigners say the EU’s shift from the existing trade arrangements to EPAs will expose fragile and developing industries in poor African nations to fierce competition from efficient EU-based firms.But Brussels, which is pushing Dec 31 as a WTO-imposed deadline, says the EPA deals will boost their economies and build up regional markets that will be attractive to foreign investment.Also, if the deals are not in place by the end of 2007, ACP exports will face higher EU import tariffs, it says.The European Commission has long insisted on negotiating full agreements by the end of this year covering not only trade in goods but other complex aspects of trade and development such as services, investment, competition and intellectual property.Nampa-ReutersEPAs are designed to replace a series of existing trade arrangements that give African, Caribbean and Pacific states preferential access to EU markets.These preferences have to be scrapped to conform to WTO principles.No deals have yet been signed – and time is running out.Representatives of the Central Africa grouping met trade experts from the European Commission, which negotiates foreign trade for the EU’s 27 member states, in Brussels this week.Again, no agreement was reached and the talks will continue.”We’re setting up a joint task force with the Central African countries to see how we can reach the joint objective of agreeing an EPA,” one Commission official said.Anti-poverty campaigners say the EU’s shift from the existing trade arrangements to EPAs will expose fragile and developing industries in poor African nations to fierce competition from efficient EU-based firms.But Brussels, which is pushing Dec 31 as a WTO-imposed deadline, says the EPA deals will boost their economies and build up regional markets that will be attractive to foreign investment.Also, if the deals are not in place by the end of 2007, ACP exports will face higher EU import tariffs, it says.The European Commission has long insisted on negotiating full agreements by the end of this year covering not only trade in goods but other complex aspects of trade and development such as services, investment, competition and intellectual property.Nampa-Reuters