Stand Up For The Region-PANG
The Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) calls on Pacific trade negotiators to continue to hold the position as agreed to in the Red Lines Paper from the Nadi Trade Ministers Meeting 14-16 May 2007 and defend the region’s call for a development friendly agreement, even in the face of the European Union’s (EU) apparent lack of concern for Pacific needs and conditions.
The EU’s draft Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) text has been met with concern and disappointment by Pacific trade officials and legal experts at the Pacific ACP (PACP) Legal Technical Working Group (TWG) which met in Nadi 23-25 August.
- ADVERTISEMENT -
Many of the Pacific’s earlier pro-development proposals appear to have been ignored and are not addressed in the demanding EU text.
“We must not let time pressure and the tough EU negotiating stance detract from the development goals for the Pacific. Our negotiators must keep their position on a development friendly and pro-Pacific EPA or look at alternatives,” said PANG Coordinator, Roshni Sami.
The EU is pressuring the Pacific to conclude EPA negotiations by December 31st this year.
“If our Pacific governments agree to the offer by the EU, the Pacific ACP countries will head for economic and social disaster, especially with the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) negotiations around the corner. No agreement is a good agreement if it is rushed to meet a deadline,” PANG says.
Analysis from regional experts at the August meeting concluded that the EU draft PACP EPA text reflected almost none of the important written proposals or key interests put forward by Pacific Government Ministers and trade officials.
“This proposal offers little for positive development in the Pacific, so PANG urges Pacific negotiators to stand strong and focus on our goals for a development-friendly Pacific EPA” said Sami.
“Under our current trading arrangements – the Cotonou Agreement – the EU is legally obliged to offer alternatives of ‘at least the current favorable market access’ in new negotiations. PANG urges Pacific Ministers and negotiators to hold the EU to this promise, which can also be done by looking at alternatives to the EPA.” said Sami.
There has been much concern about the wide reaching impacts of the Economic Partnership Agreement, especially because of how it will impact future negotiations with
“We strongly urge Pacific Ministers to continue to defend the development interests of the Pacific in the EPA” said Sami. Earlier this month, at the Vanuatu Trade Ministers’ Meeting, Pacific Ministers together rejected the EU proposal to make aid funding conditional on the outcome of the EPA negotiations.
“There is power in speaking as a region and PANG applauds the Ministers’ work earlier this month to protect the development interests of the Pacific in the Economic Partnership Agreement” said Sami.
