Marc Maes is a member of the coalition of Belgian non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) known as 11.11.11. He
, was interviewed by Wilma
Massucco during the Seminary
"Partnership for Change" promoted by Amici
dei Popoli NGO (Bologna, Italy,
2010)
EPAs and EU POLICY COHERENCE FOR DEVELOPMENT
Marc Maes, member of a Belgian coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) known as 11.11.11, believes that the current EPAs (Economic Partnership Agreements) arranged by the EU to open a free trade market between EU and the ACP Countries, are not really focused to support Development, as EU is affirming. In his opinion, if the ACP Countries signed the EPAs, the immediate consequences would be an increase of their internal costs, less Government income and the division of Africa.
Read more in his interview what he suggests EPAs should be in order to really support Development.
Marc Maes believes that the current EPAs
(Economic Partnership Agreements) arranged by the EU to make ACP economy
liberalization, i.e. to open a free trade market between EU and the ACP
(African, Caribbean, Pacific) Countries, are not really devolved to support
Development, as EU is affirming. In his opinion the ACP Countries need time to
build their original integration and their infrastructures, and to strengthen
their Institution capacity and Productive capacity, before opening their market
especially for the European imports, but the EU pushes ACP Countries to sign the
current EPAs asap. With the immediate consequences, for ACP, of an increase of
internal costs, less Government income, the division of Africa. He suggests EU
and the ACP Countries should find, together, ways to strengthen and support the
development of Africa, instead of making an exercise in which ACP Countries have
to put a cross on a paper presented by the European Union.
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| EU Policy coherence versus MDGs and EPAs - What would be the effect if all the ACP countries signed the EPAs? |
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What are EPAs?
EPAs are free trade agreements between the European Union and the ACP Countries.
The EU wants those agreements to bring very far , reaching liberalization of
economy in the ACP Countries.
Is there any different interpretation of EPAs seen from the point of view of EU
and from the point of view of ACP Countries, related also to what expressed in
the Cotonou
Agreement?
Yes, there’s a big difference of use. The EU says: “If the ACP Countries
liberalize the Economy, Development will be welcome” and most of the ACP
Countries, especially the African Countries, say: “Look, we first have to build
our original integration, our infrastructures, we have to strengthen our
Institution capacity, our Productive capacity, and only then, at later stage, we
can think of how we’re going to open our market especially for the European
imports”. So the ACP approach is one in which EPAs will be more about really
partnership and cooperation to strengthen capacity, while for the European Union
EPAs are most about liberalization , and EU says that will bring to Development.
So there’s a big discussion about the Development concept that it should be with
EPAs.
How many Countries have signed the EPAs till now?
There’s only one, the Caribbean area, which signed a full EPAs agreement. In all
the other Countries there is no EPA as such. There are only Interim agreements
on the Trade and Goods, but these are far from being completed in the sense that
they are with individual Countries and not with Regions, and they’re only
related to goods and not with other issues.
What’s the position of EU related to EPAs?
The EU wants the ACP Countries to sign up to EPAs as soon as they can. The
European Union has a very fix idea of what EPA should be. They have a draft EPAs
line in their draws and for them this is what ACP Countries should accept, and
so they continue to push ACP Countries to accept this idea, and the ACP
Countries refuse.
What might be the scenery in case all the Countries of the ACP area signed the
EPAs?
This is a big question. There’s a number of immediate consequences if all the
ACP Countries, and Africa for instance, would signed the EPAs. Africa would be
cut in four Regions, and these Regions would have better trade relations with
Europe that they would have with each other. So EPAs will contribute to coving
up Africa. Ann then all the question is: EPAs, of course, will also mean that
ACP Countries have to eliminate their import taxes at the border. So the
Government will have less income and they will also have to make all kinds of
economic forms, which will be costly. So the immediate effect will be the number
of costs, less income, the division of Africa. The long term effects are very
doubtful. The Commission says that the long term effect will be the Development
and the ACP Countries are not so sure that the long term effect will come so
easily. So, will EPAs contribute something to the sustainable development of
Africa? That is an open question.
In your opinion what would be the best related to EPAs in order to really
support the development of the South of the World?
To my opinion the best would be to draw all people can set over board and to
start it again. The European Union has to abandon its fix ideas about what EPAs
should look like. ACP Countries and EU should together find ways to strengthen
and support the development of Africa. But this should be an open ended exercise
and not an exercise in which ACP Countries have to put a cross on a paper
presented by the European Union.
How much are you confident about this change of mind by Europe?
I’m not very confident about this change of mind of Europe. I see that the
European Union is really with a crisis in a all, sitting a market access all
over the world, so they are also interested in getting this market access in
Africa. So they remain determined. But since African Countries are not going
along with the Commission, the European Union doesn’t seem to be getting its
will, and I hope they finally accept the African choices for what EPAs should
be.
Pdf version
For the pdf version of the interview click here
Other Resources
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