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Get involved > Campaign > Stop EPAs > What have poor countries signed up to? Are all the agreements the same?
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What have poor countries signed up to? Are all the agreements the same?
EPAs are 'free trade' agreements. That means both sides agree to reduce the taxes (known as tariffs) on goods coming in. This might all sound good in theory but free trade is only fair when all sides are equal and the EU and ACP are far from equal partners.
The countries that have initialled an EPA are committed to slightly different things. However, because the EU has been pushing a blanket free trade agenda, the deals are not as different as you might expect for regions as diverse as, for example, the Caribbean and Central Africa.
Common features include:
- poor countries rapidly slashing 80-90% of the total tariffs they currently place on goods coming in to their countries from the EU;
- no concrete commitments from the EU for more aid to help countries that are hit by EPAs;
- locking in poor countries to continue negotiations which would include opening up services’ markets like banking and telecommunications, plus new rules to make it easier for EU companies to set up in ACP countries.
