In accordance with the launch of the negotiations on an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the Eastern and Southern Africa region (ESA) and the European Union (EU), Kenyan civil society organizations would like to express some of our concerns regarding the EPAs as well as give our inputs to the proposed draft negotiating mandate for the ESA region.

I. Why EPAs are detrimental to ACP countries

The Economic Partnership Agreements are in essence Free Trade Agreements to be entered into between ACP regions and the European Union, requiring that African, Pacific and Caribbean countries undertake reciprocal trade liberalisation with the EU. This is incompatible with the developmental needs of ACP countries. Enterprises in ACP countries are not ready to respond to full and rapid liberalisation, because of the developing nature of the economies in these countries and various supply-side constraints that are serious obstacles to competitive production and marketing.

Through the EPAs the EU is seeking an increased market access for their own goods and services into developing and least developed country markets. This will pose serious threats to already vulnerable local food production, local food processing and infant manufacturing industries in ACP countries.

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For more information contact: kgregow@econewsafrica.org