Brussels, 02/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - Ministers from the ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) group of states, who were meeting ahead of the ACP-EU Joint Council in Dakar (28-29 May - see other article) have once again renewed their call for the EU to show flexibility so as to enable the conclusion of negotiations for economic partnership agreements (EPAs) that are beneficial for development.
It is with such a mindset that they asked the EU to resume the ministerial negotiations with three regions of the ACP group - Central Africa, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Pacific. The ACP states are indeed convinced that without EPAs that are beneficial for their development, the global sustainable development goals for 2030, to which both the EU and ACP have signed up, will not be able to be reached by these developing country partners of the EU.
In a resolution, the ACP ministers call for the EPAs that are currently being negotiated to serve the common interest of the ACP and EU, and for enough additional financial resources to be mobilised, as well as for the necessary technical assistance for supporting the EPA implementation phase.
So far only the Caribbean region has ratified a full EPA, but it is implementing this with difficulty.
West Africa, the East African Community (EAC) and the EPA group from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have signed an EPA which is no longer implemented. The ACP ministers would also like to have closer relations with the UNCTAD and for as many of the members of the group to attend the 14th Untied Nations conference on trade and development as possible (UNCTAD14, 17-22 July in Nairobi). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)