Dame Billie, who is also Minister of Foreign Trade for Barbados, is one of an increasing number of high profile trade representatives speaking out in opposition to the deals.
Economic Partnership Agreements are viewed by many in the world's poorest countries as grossly unfair and a means by which the EU can force through demands which are being blocked at the World Trade Organisation.
Dame Billie's comments were delivered at a meeting of parliamentarians from the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson who is spearheading the negotiations for the European Commission was on the same panel.
Highlighting 'major differences' between the ACP negotiators and the European Commission, Dame Miller condemned the EC's approach. She accused the Commission, which has been indulging in a huge PR exercise to sell the deals as pro-development, of failing to listen to the needs and concerns of poor countries saying EPAs are likely to make poverty worse.
Glenys Kinnock MEP and president of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly later endorsed Dame Billie's comments saying EPAs would seriously undermine poor countries' ability to achieve the internationally agreed targets to reduce poverty by 2015.
The debate around EPAs is coming in the wake of the first anniversary of the G8 summit last year when world leaders promised to make trade work for the poor. While the UK are claiming to have the interests of the world's poor at heart they are allowing these unfair and undemocratic agreements to go ahead.
Traidcraft is at the forefront of the campaign to Stop EPAs, calling on the UK government to support a full review of the negotiations which takes in to account the serious concerns of poor countries.
