Civil Society Organizations in Trade Negotiations: Case of Eac-eu Economic Partnership Agreement (Epas)

Abstract

The African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the European Union (EU) agreed through the Cotonou Partnerships Agreement signed on 23rd June 2000, in the city of Cotonou, Benin, to negotiate a new trade regime in the form of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPAs) which were to be concluded by 31st December, 2007. In order to be able to negotiate EPAs, ACP countries and the EU sought WTO waiver to enable them to continue trading in non-reciprocal trade preferences regime from the 4th WTO Ministerial Conference that was held in Doha, Qatar, in November 2001. A seven-year WTO waiver was granted, which was to expire on 31st December 2007.1 The Framework EPA popularly known as FEPA was monogramed back in 2007 and this marked the journey to negotiate the EPA trade deal between countries in the ACP region and the EU. These strides were anchored on the obligation made by the contracting and negotiating parties to systematically begin the progression of negotiations. Under the original plan, the first phase (2002-2003) entailed the launch of negotiations at the entire ACP level and discussions with the EU centered on general issues and EPA ideologies and those of the mutual concern to the ACP countries.2 ......