EPAs: what you can do

Many individual African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries have signed interim agreements with the EU - with negotiations continuing this year.

Although the picture is complicated we need to keep up the pressure to let the EU know that anything which doesn't safeguard the interests of poor people is simply unacceptable.

Act now

From Northern Ireland please use the form below to contact UK International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander, asking him to make sure the UK backs developing countries against EU pressure. The text of this email has been agreed together with other NGOs who are members of the Trade Justice Movement: but please feel free to personalise it to increase the impact.

If you are in the Republic of Ireland, use this form to mail Minister Michael Kitt.

Send the email using this form

Dear

Many poor countries have initialled new Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with Europe that require them to open up their markets, because of the threat of massive tariff increases. These agreements are bad news for millions of poor people. Furthermore the European Commission is set on extending EPAs to include services and trade-related issues that have previously been rejected at the World Trade Organisation. We believe that the current deals are incompatible with development goals. The UK Government has now been given a great opportunity to live up to its previous commitments to stand up for the poorest and most vulnerable, by publicly calling for the European Commission and Member States to: 1. make sure European Commission President Barroso acts on the reassurances he gave poor countries at the EU-Africa Summit in 2007, that the Economic Partnership Agreements initialled so far can be opened up for renegotiation, as requested by ACP Ministers in December 2007. 2. refrain from pushing for the inclusion of services, investment, competition, government procurement and intellectual property in EPAs.

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EPAs: what you can do

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