Category: Post-Cotonou

The EC’s Recommendations for the Post-Cotonou Negotiations: Some Implications for ACP Agro-food Sectors

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Summary
The EC communication on the Post Cotonou ACP-EU negotiations has bene described as ‘a confusing mixture of liberalisation and positive policy recommendations’. There are some areas which could be built on for the benefit of ACP agricultural producers and exporters, but there are also areas which could narrow the options which ACP governments have for supporting integrated agro-food sector development. The growing EU member states focus on ensuring EU interests are more effectively promoted through the future ACP-EU partnership, alongside a growing focus on migration and security areas as well as the promoting the economic interests of EU companies in ACP markets is unlikely to lead to any substantive changes which enhance the contribution of the EU-ACP partnership to the integrated development of ACP agro-food sectors. However this remains a terrain of political struggle with a key question being: how effectively prepared are ACP structures and institutions for engaging in the political struggle which lies ahead in the post-Cotonou ACP-EU partnership negotiations. Read more “The EC’s Recommendations for the Post-Cotonou Negotiations: Some Implications for ACP Agro-food Sectors”

Declining Prices of Dark Meat Intensify Competition for African Poultry Producers

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Summary
While on global market price of whole chickens and breast meat remain strong, ‘dark’ meat prices are falling. This is a source of concern to sub-Saharan African poultry producers. Leading EU poultry producers are increasingly targeting African market. In this context an over vigorous implementation of EPA commitments on the elimination of non-tariff barriers to import from the EU could see African markets increasingly opened up to rapidly expanding EU poultry meat exports.  This could carry serious consequences for African poultry meat producers, in a context where considerable rural income earning opportunities can be generated along poultry feed supply chains. Read more “Declining Prices of Dark Meat Intensify Competition for African Poultry Producers”

Implications of Improving Phytosanitary Control Systems for the Attainment of SDGs

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Summary

Investments in strengthening SPS control systems in ACP countries can only be effective in contributing to the SDG objectives of poverty eradication and ending hunger if complemented by additional initiatives. Firstly initiatives to end unfair trading practices (UTPs) along ACP-EU agro-food sector supply chains through the extension of scheduled EU regulatory initiatives to combat UTPs to ACP-EU supply chains. Secondly initiatives to improve the design and implementation of EU SPS control requirements in ways which take into account the mode of production used by smallholder producers, while ensuring the integrity of arrangement for attaining underlying SPS policy objectives. Read more “Implications of Improving Phytosanitary Control Systems for the Attainment of SDGs”

Can the Post Cotonou Negotiations Provide the Context for a Rethink of the EU’s EPA Policy?

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Summary

While the debate in East Africa on the EAC-EU EPA continues, with the UNECA warning of the dangers posed by the agreement to the structural economic transformation of East Africa, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel has described the EPAs as ‘not right’ and possible in need of re-negotiation. A key issue will be laying the basis for EU trade agreements to contribute to the structural economic transformation of African agro-food sectors. This issue needs to be taken up in the post-Cotonou negotiations in order to:

  1. enshrine an EU commitment to the flexible and responsible implementation of EPA commitments in legally binding agreements;
  2. address the systematic bias against smallholder producers and small scale exporters which exists in design and implementation EU food safety and SPS control systems;
  3. extend the current EU regulatory initiative son UTPs to ACP-EU supply chains;
  4. revise the design of loan and investment support instruments to effectively meet the needs of local agricultural producers and agro-processing companies.

Read more “Can the Post Cotonou Negotiations Provide the Context for a Rethink of the EU’s EPA Policy?”

Proposed EC Regulatory Initiative on UTPs Needs to be Extended to ACP-EU Supply Chains

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Summary

The EC is currently undertaking consultations on new proposals to reduce unfair trading practices (UTPs), to which farmers are seen as being particularly vulnerable. UTPs are seen as stifling innovation and undermining on-farm investment through reducing the commercial viability of farming activities. The envisaged regulations aim to ensure a fairer distribution of value along agricultural supply chains, and increase both farm incomes and on-farm investment.

There is an urgent need to extend EU regulations on UTPs to ACP-EU supply chains since in some major sectors abuses of the weak market position of smallholder producers are endemic. Investments in poverty focused export orientated smallholder production will be undermined unless issues of UTPs along ACP-EU supply chains are addressed. Read more “Proposed EC Regulatory Initiative on UTPs Needs to be Extended to ACP-EU Supply Chains”

EU plans to invest in agriculture in Africa to curb migration pressured need to address UTPs in Africa-EU agro-food sector supply chains

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Summary

EU Agricultural Commissioner Hogan has called for investment to be mobilised in sustainable agro-food sector development in Africa to combat migration pressures. While an EU action plan is under development in this area, calls have been made for the EU to extend its planned regulatory initiative on Unfair Trading Practices (UTPs) to Africa-EU supply chains. Current widespread abusive practices by EU importers fall particularly heavily on smallholder farmers. Given its economic significance, this is an issue which the ACP Group could usefully take up in its post-Cotonou negotiations with the EU as part of the wider dialogue with the EU on migration issues. Read more “EU plans to invest in agriculture in Africa to curb migration pressured need to address UTPs in Africa-EU agro-food sector supply chains”

Role of UK Groceries Code Adjudicator could be extended

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Summary

The UK GCA performance has been praised for gradually changing supermarket practices, with a debate now underway on whether the scope of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) should be extended. Traidcraft has called for such an extension to address abuses which take place elsewhere in grocery supply chains served by developing country suppliers, who currently have no means of seeking redress. Strengthening the code to effectively cover all routes to market used by developing country suppliers is one important dimension of the current GCA review. A further important dimension is the important role which such regulatory initiatives can play in changing supermarket sourcing practices. This is an important issue given the growing role of foreign owned supermarkets across the ACP and the difficulties this poses for local agricultural producers in entering this expanding retail market component. Read more “Role of UK Groceries Code Adjudicator could be extended”

Agriculture to be a Focus of the Renewed Africa-EU Partnership

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Summary
Supporting African agro-food sector development given its employment, food security and rural development effects is nominally a focus of the proposed renewed Africa-EU partnership. However differences of opinion over what constitutes an appropriate ‘regulatory and policy framework’ for African agro-food sector development, alongside unacknowledged tensions between EU agro-food sector export objectives and African agro-food sector development aspirations, could pose serious challenges for a renewed Africa-EU partnership in this area.  Read more “Agriculture to be a Focus of the Renewed Africa-EU Partnership”

Need to restore differentiation in trade rules in support of structural transformation in Africa

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Summary
Trade Minister Davies reflections on South Africa’s experience of trade liberalisation, which, with hindsight it is held, moved too rapidly for the countries capacity to adjust, potentially holds important lessons for ACP countries as they move towards the implementation of the EPAs concluded with the EU. It suggests ACP governments need to work together to ensure EPAs are interpreted and applied in a flexible and differentiated fashion, which places centre stage the structural economic transformation needs of ACP countries. This will need to be a central component of the forthcoming ACP-EU post-Cotonou negotiations, as well as on-going ACP Ministerial discussion on EPA implementation. Read more “Need to restore differentiation in trade rules in support of structural transformation in Africa”

The ACP and the increasing importance of exports to Polish poultry sector growth

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Summary
Sub-Saharan African markets are of growing importance to the Polish poultry sector. The granting of a health certificate for exports to South Africa will see this importance increase. While EU governments in ‘new’ member states commonly complain they gain little from the relationship with the ACP, the strong expansion of their agro-food exports to ACP countries belies this compliant. Without ACP markets, Polish poultry sector growth would be slower. Read more “The ACP and the increasing importance of exports to Polish poultry sector growth”