STOP - THINK - RESIST EPAs

 

Take action for Stop EPA Day, 27 September 2009, and tell Africa’s leaders to show bold committed leadership in this time of global financial crisis. Africa needs trade and economic policies that will counter the crisis and support development for African people. EPAs will give us more of the same policies that caused the crisis. Join Africa Trade Network campaigners around the world by sending an email to your government calling on them to stop the EPA deals!

Below is a sample message that you can use or adapt as you wish.

HOW IT WORKS:
 - copy and paste the email message below into an email and make any changes you want;
 - change the salutation from Dear XX and add your name;
 - copy and paste the email address and send your email;
 - then repeat to as many people as you want!

Sample email message:

Dear XX

The 27th September 2009 marks the 7th anniversary since the initiation of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations between the European Union (EU) and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Almost two years after the original 2007 deadline the negotiations are far from over.  In fact it has become increasingly clear that EPAs are not fundamentally concerned about Africa’s development but are designed to further the geo-economic interests of European corporations and capital.

African countries are so concerned at the direction which the negotiations have taken that the majority of countries have not signed or initialled any form of EPA agreement. EPAs pose a threat not only to government revenue, local producers and industries, food sovereignty, essential public services, and the regional integration of African countries; but also to both the ability and the right of African countries to develop their economies according to the needs of their people and their own national, regional and continental priorities.

This year, in 2009, we are living through unprecedented global economic crises. These have their origins in the advanced industrial economies, yet African countries are suffering its worst effects. The crises have devastated economic activity in African countries, sweeping away small businesses, firms, mines, jobs, revenues and livelihoods; compounding existing challenges and shocks of the highroad and energy crises; and undermining poverty eradication and social development programmes. Some of the strongest impacts are being felt by women and other marginalised groups who are often less equipped to deal with economic shocks.

At the same time, the multiple and simultaneous crises have brought to the fore the fragilities inherent in Africa’s economies and their subordination within the international economic order.  In particular, the crises have highlighted the continued dependence of African countries on the export of a narrow basket of primary commodities, and on the import of most other products, including food and manufactured goods.

The crisis has been caused by decades of domination by neoliberal market orthodoxy and deregulation. We stand at a crucial turning point; If Africa's leaders limit themselves to demanding extra resources from the international community for dealing with the short-term financing gaps, while committing themselves to continuing neo-liberal policy reforms, they will be betraying Africa's people. The crisis requires Africa's leaders to show vision and act responsibly and strategically, putting in place policies to counter the effects of the crisis, maintaining the space and flexibility to use those policies and looking toward Africa’s current and future developmental needs.

We call on Africa's leaders to:

  - act to suspend further negotiations and actions on the EPAs, as a result of the uncertainties created by the global crisis, to enable governments to carry out necessary assessments and action in relation to the crisis;

  - demand that African countries' access to European markets be maintained during this suspension through an extension of the terms recently granted by the EU to its European neighbour, Moldova.

Furthermore, within the EPA negotiations we call on Africa's leaders to:

  - reject the scope and time frames for market access opening to EU products which are not consistent with the needs of our industrial development and instead defend a flexible interpretation of GATT Article 24 which allows special and differential treatment and less than full reciprocity;

  - reject the negotiation of “Singapore Issues” of investment, competition and government procurement;

  - reject any intellectual property provisions which go beyond existing commitments under the WTO TRIPS agreement;

  - refuse to make any commitments to liberalise the service sector beyond their commitments in the GATS.

In these time of crisis, we call on Africa’s leaders to show bold, committed leadership united around the vision of a strong and united Africa, driven by the needs and imperatives of its peoples.

Yours sincerely,

(signed)*

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------