Brussels, 18/04/2007 (Agence Europe) - In anticipation of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) being negotiated between the EU and six regional ACP (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific) sub-groups, a guide has just been published, aiming to help ACP union organisations to fulfil the role that they will have to play in the implementation of these future agreements, which will help to prepare for the establishment, in the very long term, of free-trade zones.
This union guide is the fruit of the labour of the European Trade Unions Confederation (ETUC), the Trade Union Confederation of Togolese Workers (CSTT) and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). It comes under the heading of a cooperation project between ETUC and the CSTT (on behalf of all of the union organisations of the ACP countries), with the support of the ICFTU, in order to “reinforce the capacities of union organisations in the ACP countries in view of the economic partnership agreements”.
Given the significant structural reforms in employment and living conditions of the ACP populations that will be brought about by the EPAs, which are due to enter into force on 1 January 2008, the role of the union organisations will be of fundamental importance to guarantee that these agreements fulfil certain obligatory criteria in terms of the promotion of employment, the reinforcement of economic and social rights, and respect for employers' rights.
The Cotonou Agreement, under which the EPAs are negotiated, calls upon the union organisations of the ACP countries and the European union organisations to take an active part in developing them. The joint union guide which has just been published is a response to this appeal. The union organisations hope to ensure that the guide is distributed and used as broadly as possible, in all of the negotiating regions, in order to help ACP workers and their union representatives to contribute towards the achievement of the central objectives of the Cotonou Agreement. These are the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and the gradual integration of the ACP countries into the world economy. The union guide and the dossier accompanying it can be consulted online at the following address: http://www.etuc.org/a/3576 . (an)