The Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) was held in Slovenia throughout one week in March, bringing together parliamentarians from the European Parliament, and the parliaments of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
The parliamentarians were joined by civil society representatives including CONCORD, the Slovenian platform of NGDOs SLOGA and African farmers groups.
One of the central issues discussed at the assembly was the situation surrounding the controversial Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). Marc Maes, Chair of CONCORD’s ACP Trade working group, slammed the agreements, stating that ‘the EPAs were concluded in haste and under a great deal of pressue from the European Commission. These arrangements need to be thrown out.’
His comments were echoed by Louis Straker, a parliamentarian from St Vincent and the Grenadines, who said ‘If we had not signed up to the EPAs, we would have been subjected to much higher tariffs. We had no choice.’
The lack of transparency surrounding the negotiations has been criticised, as the EPAs were primarily negotiated behind closed doors.
Development Commissioner Louis Michel was greeted on his arrival at the JPA with a demonstration against the trade agreements; placards that read Brussels-made EPAs will not fit ACPs, which he answered with a protest of his own. ‘I do not agree with you,’ he said, ‘if you want to remain poor, just be against the EPAs.’
Source: CONCORD/SLOGA press release of 18 March 2008
Download the press release from:
http://www.concordeurope.org/Files/media/internetdocumentsENG/5_Press/1_Press_releases/0_Press_release_2008/JPA-press-release-18-3-2008-3.doc
Information provided by Rebecca Steel, TRIALOG Policy Officer
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