Services

Analytical Note, May 2008

Buying power: aid, governance and public procurement.

This South Centre Analytical Note looks at the donor-driven agenda in the reform of public procurement – the rules that guide government purchasing of goods, works and services – as one of major components in the good governance agenda being incorporated by donors into their aid programmes. (more…)

Analytical Note, May 2008

The EU- CARIFORUM EPA on Services Investments and E Commerce-Implications for other ACP Countries.

At the close of 2007, the EU completed a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the Cariforum countries.  The EPA with the Cariforum is comprehensive in the sense that it extends to trade in goods, services and all the new generation issues including government procurement, competition law, and others. (more…)

Analytical Note, February 2008

EPA Negotiations: State of Play and Strategic Considerations for the Way Forward.

This Analytical Note describes the process that led to the conclusion, in the last hours of 2007, of interim EPAs between the EU and 20 ACP countries as well as of a comprehensive EPA with the 15 CARIFORUM states. (more…)

Research Paper 16, January 2008

Liberalization of Trade in Health Services: Balancing Mode 4 Interests with Obligations to Provide Universal Access to Basic Services.

Health is a human Right. The Right is bestowed on human beings through national constitutions and various international legal instruments that have been signed and ratified by many, if not all, governments of the world. Inherent herein is the Right to access basic health services; which imposes an obligation on States to ensure that these services are universally accessible to all their constituents. (more…)

Analytical Note, January 2008

EPA Negotiations in the Caribbean Region: Some Issues of Concern.

This Analytical Note explores some of the main challenges related to the EPA negotiations in the CARIFORUM ACP region, particularly with respect to Market Access and regional integration, Agriculture, Manufacturing, and trade in Services. (more…)

Analytical Note, November 2007

EPA Negotiations in the Pacific Region: Some Issues of Concern.

This Analytical Note explores some of the main challenges related to the EPA negotiations in the Pacific ACP region, particularly with respect to Market Access and regional integration, Agriculture, and trade in Services. (more…)

Analytical Note, October 2007

Fact Sheet 5 – Demystifying Trade in Services: A Strategic Guide for ACP EPA Negotiators

This Analytical Note is part of a series of Fact Sheets designed to overview  and assess the development implications of the Economic Partnership  Agreements (EPAs), which the EU is currently negotiating with 76 countries  in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific (ACP). This Fact Sheet seeks to increase  the understanding of the substantive issues at stake in the negotiations,  (more…)

Analytical Note, October 2007

EPA Negotiations in Southern Africa: Some Issues of Concern.

This Analytical Note explores some of the main challenges related to the EPA negotiations in the SADC region, particularly with respect to Market Access and regional integration, Agriculture, and trade in Services. (more…)

Policy Brief 10, August 2007

Why Inclusion of Services in the EPAS is Problematic: Legal and Development Implications.

Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) are an important instrument in international trade. RTAs create bigger markets through reduction or elimination of tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade between members. Traditionally, these Agreements have focused on the liberalization of merchandise trade among members. (more…)

Analytical Note, June 2007

EPA Negotiations in the Central African Region: Some Issues for Consideration.

This Analytical Note explores some of the main challenges that the countries of the EPA Central African region face in the EPA negotiating process, including with respect to its interfaces with WTO negotiations. (more…)

Research Paper 11, March 2007

Development at crossroads: The economic partnership agreement negotiations with Eastern and Southern African countries on trade in services.

In simple terms, Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) are intergovernmental Agreements that manage and promote trade activities in specific regions of the world, aimed at reducing or eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade between members. RTAs may solely address trade integration, or may be part of a wider Regional Integration Agreement (RIA), which encompasses governance and political issues. (more…)

Policy Brief 5, September 2006

Increasing LDC Participation in Services through Special Priority Market Access in the WTO.

The participation of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in international trade in services is minimal. Unlike the case of goods, in services, LDCs compete on a Most Favoured Nation (MFN) basis. It is therefore impossible for a country to give a market opening only to LDCs, on terms more favourable than is available to others. (more…)