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Press
Release
Ghana
concedes to interim EPA
Accra, Dec. 12, Ghanadot/GNA – The European Commission has
hailed Ghana’s decision to sign the interim Economic
Partnership Agreements with the European Union in the next
few days.
Mr. Filliberto Ceriani Sebregondi, Head of European Union
Delegation in Ghana, said the interim deal which the country
was close to signing would ensure that no disruption to
trade occurred, come January 2008.
West Africa Trade Negotiators at a meeting in Abidjan had
asked for extension of the World Trade Organization's waiver
but the EU is unwilling to accede to the request.
Instead, the EU has proposed a two stage approach to the
EPAs; that is concluding an agreement in the area of market
access, while negotiations on services and other trade
related issues such as government procurement continue till
2008.
The EU is seeking under the EPAs the opening up of the
markets of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries
duty and quota free for goods from Europe in exchange for
the same treatment to products from the ACP countries.
The EPAs would replace the current Cotonou Agreement under
which the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries had
enjoyed a non-reciprocal preferential treatment to the EU
market.
Speaking at the Ghanaian German Economic Association forum
on the EPAs, Mr. Sebregondi said the EU could not continue
with the current trade regime because it was incompatible
with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules that demanded
equal treatment for all member countries.
He said, although the country could lose some revenue when
import duties on EU goods were removed, the phase
liberalization would ensure that the impact was minimal.
Besides, he said, the EU was putting in place a fund to
compensate for such revenue losses.
The EU further argued that the EPAs would push forward the
regional integration agenda by ensuring that countries
rationalized and harmonized their regional trade
arrangements and in the process, strengthen the integration
process and the economies.
Mr. Lawrence Sae-Brawusi, Trade Specialist at the Ministry
of Trade, said the offer of a mere market access was not
enough for ACP countries to benefit from the EPAs.
He said, there was the urgent need to deal with the
supply-side constraints that had made it difficult for the
countries to meet the stringent demands in the EU market.
Mr. Sae-Brawusi, therefore, called for a long transitional
period to enable the countries to build competitive export
capacities.
On product cover, he said, all subsidized products from the
EU should be excluded from the list of imports to ACP
countries.
There must be credible dispute settlement and review clauses
to ensure that sensitive products for the countries could be
changed in line with developments in the global market
place.
GNA
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