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Campaign news - EPAs

Malawi will not be forced to sign unfair trade deal Malawi says it will not sign an EPA until it feels ready to do so. 30 June 2009
Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland sign trade deal with EU The European Union has signed an interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland, with Mozambique due to sign shortly. 8 June 2009
Africa holds out for a better European trade deal Several African countries are standing firm against signing an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union until they get a better deal. 1 June 2009
President of Ghana criticises unfair trade deal with Europe John Atta Mills, the President of Ghana claims the deal between the European Union and West Africa will allow European countries to dump their cheap and highly subsidised goods and services on Ghana. 15 May 2009
Parliamentarians back freeze on unfair trade deal between Europe and the Caribbean Parliamentarians support freezing the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) so that Caribbean countries can pull through the global economic crisis. 13 March 2009
Head of Europe's trade policy replies to Traidcraft supporters In January 2009, hundreds of you wrote to Baroness Ashton, the new head of EU trade policy, urging her to listen to the concerns of poor countires when negotiating trade deals. 24 February 2009
"No tricks, no threats: it's time to listen to the needs of poor people" This was the view of Kathini Maloba of the Kenyan Women’s Worker Organisation as campaigners protested against EPAs outside the European Parliament. 31 October 2008
First Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is signed amid confusion Caribbean EPA farce exposes EU tactics on anti-developmental deals. 20 October 2008
EPAs: still no signatures Despite continued bullying and threats from European negotiators, no developing country has yet signed a controversial Economic Partnership Agreement. 29 September 2008
Unfair trade deals: time to start over Four months on from the official deadline for concluding Europe's trade deals with 77 of the world's poorest countries and they're far from wrapped up. Many developing countries are calling for the deals to be renegotiated and the European Commission's approach to the negotiations has been widely condemned. 20 May 2008
European leaders have failed millions of poor people Traidcraft is appalled that the UK government has backed controversial trade deals which could write off thousands of jobs and destroy industries in some of the world's poorest countries. 19 December 2007
European Commission pressures countries to sign trade deals Under huge pressure from the European Commission, a handful of developing countries have signed controversial "interim" trade deals (Economic Partnership Agreements) with Europe. But deep divisions between the two continents are being laid bare at the EU-Africa summit in Lisbon this week. 11 December 2007
Mandelson goes on the offensive EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson hits back at critics of EPAs, accusing them of ‘playing poker’ with the livelihoods of people in developing countries. Traidcraft and Christian Aid respond. 8 November 2007
Mandelson in disarray over trade talks As more and more groups criticise the European Union’s approach, Trade Commissioner Mandelson finally admits it may not be possible to sign Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) this year. 31 October 2007
Businesses warn Government not to impose ACP import tariffs The UK’s leading flower importers are among the first companies and trade associations to publicly call for the European Commission to withdraw its threat of increased import tariffs if new trade agreements between European and African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) countries are not in place by the end of the year. 17 October 2007
Thousands unite for Stop EPA Day Over 200 organisations in more than 40 countries are uniting in action to mark International Stop EPA day on 27th September. 27 September 2007
All to play for in trade negotiations Just 3 months remain until Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between Europe and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries are supposed to be signed and the EU is ratcheting up the pressure to fever pitch. 26 September 2007
Top EU official undermining African trade Europe's number two on trade is advising African countries to put up trade barriers to their neighbours, while proclaiming the virtues of regional trade through EPAs. 17 July 2007
Deputy Prime Minister candidate speaks out against EPAs Jon Cruddas, Labour party deputy leadership candidate, today called for a new approach to the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) in a speech to the Foreign Press Association. 11 June 2007
EU using "dirty tactics" to force unfair trade rules on poor countries new report reveals The European Commission (EC) is using strong-arm tactics to force 76 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to sign trade deals that will benefit rich nations at the expense of developing countries, according to a new report by five UK development agencies. 23 May 2007
EPAs worries spreading fast During the last 4 months, your campaigning has led to more and more official bodies expressing concern about EPAs, including ministers, European parliament, British MPs and African church leaders. They are a diverse mix of groups that reflects just how serious the impacts of EPAs could be. 17 May 2007
Traidcraft campaigners in Global Day of Action against unfair trade On 19 April, over 800 trade justice campaigners from across the country gathered in London to lobby all 27 European embassies, setting a record for the first ever simultaneous embassy lobby in the UK. 20 April 2007
Poor countries not ready for EPAs, warns minister With only 9 months left before new trade deals between Europe and 76 poor countries come into force, serious concerns are being expressed about whether they will live up to their key aim of reducing poverty. 10 April 2007
Europe is abusing poor countries, say MPs A parliamentary committee looking at development issues has condemned the way Europe is negotiating new trade deals with poor countries. 5 April 2007
2007: Last Chance to Stop EPAs As the deadline for signing Economic Partnership agreements (EPAs) looms, the European Commission is rushing to complete negotiations in time. But opposition to these unjust trade deals is growing… 14 February 2007
Senior trade minister issues stark warning on trade deals Dame Billie Miller, the senior trade negotiator for some of the world's poorest countries, has warned that new trade deals being pursued by the European Union could become 'an instrument of oppression'. 30 June 2006
Not in our name Traidcraft is one of over 70 organisations across Europe who signed an open letter to European Commissioner Peter Mandelson, published in today's Financial Times. 1 June 2006
2005: a hot year for EPAs "To make poverty history, we have to also make EPAs history" - Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, Kenyan Trade Minister, 27 June 2005. 1 March 2006
World Trade Organisation Hong Kong: verdict Last minute compromise offers little for the world's poor: After 6 days of frenetic and heated negotiation the WTO meeting ended on Sunday. But despite constantly talking of a “development round” rich countries have ignored the concerns of half the world's population and are pursuing a deal that will serve only their own interests. 19 December 2005

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