Monthly update on Trade and FTA's from ACP

international | anti-capitalism | other press

Monday November 05, 2007 18:59

by C Murray

and UN Commission to focus on Gender Financing

The Lisbon Treaty is at this time according to the Irish Times, 'In doubt' due to a big drop off
in support for the re-negotiated Reform Treaty which sees the EU member states dropping
the article on rights (article 3.3) and retaining for the most part the main body of the rejected
Nice II Treaty. The next thing on the EU agenda is a meeting with the African nations in Lisbon
toward the end of the year which aims to set in pace the economic architecture for further
bi-laterals and free trade agreements which undercut these nations and have brought
quality of life issues into the community airwaves and NGO's;-
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84739

Isis Clipart

The ACP {African, Carribean, Pacific} negotiators say that the EU have breached the Contonou
Treaty of 2000 and are forcing bi-lateral agreements which will effect quality of life and
community structures, the details of the complaint are at link (second comment). The EU
has also imposed pressures including reduction of aid to developing nations, the economic
imperatives involved in forcing a new treaty on these areas will also effect farming methods
and prices on goods for export (whilst forcing the ACP to be an open market for EU
produce through imposition of higher duties). http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84739 .

The EPA 's are due to be enforced in 2008, with agreement expected at Lisbon by end of 2007.
There is then, a huge drop in support for the idea of the EU amongst developing Nations who are
feeling squeezed by the EU.

Backround to some of the Problems with Bilateral and Free Trade Agreements:-

http://www.grain.org/article/?id=29
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/83814
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84470

The previous head of the EU, Angela Merckel signed a bilateral with George Bush in January
2006 , which got no Irish media coverage and made the US dailies and the FT.

Some Links on UN and Gender financing;
http://www.isiswomen.org/index.php?option=com_content&t...d=204
http://www.isiswomen.org/index.php?option=com_content&t...mid=1

Updates on Asean/Nepal/FTA's/CAFTA at:- http://www.isiswomen.org

[The banner is part of a global campaign to increase the voice of women in getting what
they need in terms of equal representation and gender parity in relation to decisions that
are often made without consultation and effect communities in a negative fashion- one of the
groups involved in this movement is radiofeminista which had covered the Costa Rican
opposition to the CAFTA- Central American Free Trade Agreements}