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About EPAs

Economic Partnership Agreements are new free trade agreements between the EU and a group of developing
countries in a region. They are to be operative from the end of 2007, but the poorest countries already
have supposed access to EU markets, so there is little gain for them in EPAs.

Under EPAs developing countries must open up their markets even more than is required by the WTO.

This involves:
- fully eliminating import duties and quotas on imports
- progressive liberalisation of services
- opening up of capital markets
- liberalising the three 'new issues' refused by them at the WTO in Cancun.

Shamefully, this is being negotiated under the EU's aid package - the Cotonou Agreement - which is
supposed to be poverty focused.

Comhlámh may be able to provide a speaker for an event you organise in Ireland in relation to EPAs, so let
us know if we can be of assistance. Contact fleachta@comhlamh.org or call 01 4783490

European Partnership Agreements: Campaign Update

For the past six years the Comhlamh Trade Justice Group has been campaigning against the European Union's unfair trade deals, called Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), with 76 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

In the months leading up to the signing of these agreements at the end of 2007, ACP countries were put under tremendous pressure to sign from the European Commission. The Commission threatened non-LDC countries (Least Developed Countries) to reduce access for their goods into the European market and diminish levels of aid if they did not sign an EPA. This bullish approach has resulted in rushed deals.

The good news: Your actions have made a difference.