Five good reasons to suspend the EPA negotiations

The difficult job for West Africa of establishing a new Common External Tariff

These Economic Partnership Agreements between the European Union and the 76 ACP countries (Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific). “Europe is at present trying to impose these agreements by force, to the detriment of dialogue” says Ablasse Ouédraogo. If adopted in their present form the agreements would deprive the ACP countries of political instruments that are essential for development. Contrary to their initial objective, they would jeopardise regional integration by exacerbating poverty and blocking the diversification of production, needed to free themselves from the dependence on basic commodities.

Ablasse Ouédraogo lists five good reasons for suspending the negotiations. More could be found. He points to the world economic crisis.
“For a year and a half our planet is up against a financial crisis, which has turned into an economic crisis and then into a humanitarian crisis in the low income countries. The situation we had in 2002 has changed. Liberalism has triumphed during the past two years and is beginning to show its limits. The impact of the crisis has forced the developed countries to reorient themselves and to press for protectionism. This reason alone would be sufficient. How can one ask the ACP countries (many of which are among the poorest in the world) to liberalise their economy, while the richest turn to protectionism?

Time must also allowed for the reinforcement of regional integration.
“For more than thirty years African countries have been convinced that only large economic areas are viable in the long term and have therefore set up inter-state organisations to promote regional integration. This process is far from achieved and trade between the African states represents less than 10% of their total trade at present, compared to 60% for Europe. The opening up of their markets, as imposed by the EPAs, could increase African extraversion and destroy the titanic efforts deployed by the continent’s organisations (ECOWAS, WAEMU, CEMAC, SADC and others) to consolidate the regional market they are building up.

shows that regional integration still has a long way to go and that it is “urgent to wait”. What is it about exactly? Months ago the ECOWAS (The Economic Community of West African States) agreed to set up a new Common External Tariff and to add a fifth 35% band to the previous four (of 0, 5, 10 and 20%). A selection now has to be made of products which should have high protection, that is come under the new fifth tariff band. We have already written about this, notably in connection with milk products. “It is obvious that if the Sahelian countries are to develop their milk sector, they have to classify milk products in the fifth band of the ECOWAS common external tariff, where the import duty is 35%. However, it appears that Ivory Coast has asked to have milk powder (in particular the industrial batches of 25 kg bags) put into the 0% band. It considers milk powder as raw material for making milk formula and yoghurt. . .” (See abc Burkina n° 341)

We therefore demanded that the debate on highly protected (taxed) products be made public and that civil society be consulted. As far as we can see the debate has either stalled or is taking place sheltered from transparency.
At any rate how could West Africa continue negotiations with the European Union against the light of recent events in Niger, Guinea and Ivory Coast?

We could in deed join Ablasse Ouédraogo (and many others) in stating:
“The world economic crisis and numerous other reasons warrant a suspension of EPA negotiations”. It would be appropriate for the ROPPA - Alliance of Farmers’ and Agricultural Producers” Organisations of West Africa, (Réseau des Organisations Paysannes et des Producteurs de l’Afrique de l’Ouest) to make good use of the “Farmers’ National Day” next week to proclaim :

If not, I would be tempted, like others, to believe that rather than « a farmers event » it will be « the President’s field day. »
The farmers should take this opportunity to also demand that all their agricultural products be classified in the fifth band and protected by a 35% import duty.

Koudougou February 28th 2010
Maurice Oudet
Director, SEDELAN