Category: EPA general

Implications of the EC orientation for Post Cotonou negotiations for ACP agro-food sectors

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Summary
The EC consensus on development document recognizes the role of agricultures in eradicating poverty and the importance of smallholder farmers within agriculture in developing countries. It commits the EU to developing value chains which benefit the poor. The EC staff working document in contrast clearly articulates EU security, migration and economic preoccupations in redefining the EU’s relationship with ACP countries. The EC communication on a renewed EU-ACP partnership for its part recognizes the need for responsible investment in agro-food sector development in Africa. Read more “Implications of the EC orientation for Post Cotonou negotiations for ACP agro-food sectors”

Planned  hard  BREXIT raises stakes for ACP

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Summary

While somewhat contradictory, the UK’s 12 point ‘Plan for Britain’ appears to suggest the UK intends to leave the single market and the EU customs union, so as to be able to pursue its own bilateral trade agreements with faster growing economies outside the EU. Within this approach little consideration is being given to the consequences of UK policy choices for developing countries within the ACP Group and beyond. The UK’s departure approach will make it more difficult for the UK to become an associate signatory to the existing EPA agreements and increases the urgency of ACP governments establishing with the UK authorities a mechanisms to avoid ‘a disruptive cliff edge’ in ACP access to the UK market. It would also appear to increase the urgency of ACP governments establishing dialogues with the UK and EU authorities on how to address the adjustment challenges which will arise from the erosion of the value of ACP preferences as a result of Brexit. Read more “Planned  hard  BREXIT raises stakes for ACP”

BREXIT and the ACP What Can Be Done?

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Summary

The UK needs to recognise its ‘inherited’ trade obligations to ACP/LDC countries and take regulatory measures to extend unilaterally current market access arrangements from day 1 of BREXIT. This should be seen as ‘transitional’, with the re-fitting of existing EPAs into bilateral trade arrangements taking place once the UK administration is in a position to undertake such an exercise. This agreement should both improve access for ACP countries to the UK market and address preference erosion concerns. Read more “BREXIT and the ACP What Can Be Done?”

EU poultry meat exports to Africa continue to grow

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Summary

EU poultry exports to sub-Saharan Africa continue to grow, despite setbacks on trade into West Africa linked to the oil price collapse. Given the continuous growth in EU poultry meat exports to sub-Saharan Africa in recent years, it is apparent that the scope for local poultry sector development will be strongly linked to the future use of non-tariff trade policy measures.  The use of these, which could well be brought into question under the newly concluded economic partnership agreements. Read more “EU poultry meat exports to Africa continue to grow”

UK Private Sector Concerned Over Trade Disruption under BREXIT

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Summary

The UK Fresh Produce Consortium and British Retail Consortium have both independently highlighted the importance to UK consumers of ensuring continuity in access to the UK market for third country supplier post-BREXIT.  These UK bodies are potentially value able allies for the ACP in protecting their export interests. Meanwhile countries like Peru are actively seeking new bilateral trade arrangements with the UK. Read more “UK Private Sector Concerned Over Trade Disruption under BREXIT”

Ecuador agreement highlights trade tools used by EU in sensitive sectors

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Summary:

The debate on the ‘stabilisation mechanism’ in trade with Ecuador, is illustrative of the EU’s use of special trade mechanism to defend EU agricultural interests (e.g. EU banana producers). This type of mechanism could be useful for ACP governments under EPAs in sectors where EU agricultural and trade policies distort competition to the benefit of EU exporters (e.g. in the dairy and poultry sectors). Read more “Ecuador agreement highlights trade tools used by EU in sensitive sectors”

What Value Future Preferential Access to the UK Market

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Summary:

While the immediate concern is to preserve current ACP preferences, in the longer term serious preference erosion challenges will be faced. Where the UK has no agricultural production interests (e.g. bananas and citrus) there will be little incentive to maintain EU tariffs. However for  five years tariff preferences may remain given the complexity of some trade negotiations. The UK’s future agricultural policy will also affect ACP preferences, notably: whether the UK retains EU CAP-related special agricultural levies. Read more “What Value Future Preferential Access to the UK Market”

What BREXIT Means for the UK-ACP Trading Relationship?

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Summary

The duty free access enjoyed for exports to and imports from the UK under the various EPAs will lapse once the UK leaves the EU. The countries most dependent on the UK market it is vital current market access arrangements are not disrupted. More generally sectors dominated by smallholder producers exporting undifferentiated bulk commodities on the basis of traditional high levels of tariff preferences are likely to be most severely affected by a loss of preferential access to the UK market. Initiatives are urgently needed to ensure a continuation of current preferential access to the UK market. Longer term issues of preference erosion on the UK market will also need to be addressed. Read more “What BREXIT Means for the UK-ACP Trading Relationship?”

What drives EU poultry meat exports to sub-Saharan Africa?

epamonitoring

Summary

The structure of EU demand and the EU’s tightly ‘managed’ poultry sector trade regime are major factors driving EU exports of frozen poultry parts to Africa. Important ‘pull’ factors include growing African demand for low cost protein and the poultry sector trade policies pursued by African governments. EPA commitments could bring into question the current use of trade policy tools in support of local poultry sector development in Africa. Read more “What drives EU poultry meat exports to sub-Saharan Africa?”