The WTO’s July 2008 Mini-Ministerial: Agriculture, NAMA, Process Issues and the Road Ahead.
This paper outlines the main events which took place during the WTO’s July mini-Ministerial. It goes on to provide a discussion of the key issues that were important in that meeting – agriculture, cotton, the non-agriculture market access negotiations, as well as systemic process concerns. (more…)
Fact Sheet 12: EPAs and Development Assistance: Rebalancing Rights and Obligations.
The purpose of this analytical note is to highlight the inherent imbalances interim EPA texts contain with regard to development assistance. Its analysis, furthermore, can provide guidance to regions and countries that need to (more…)
Mercosur’s experience and progress towards true regional integration.
This South Centre Analytical Note provides a background and discussion on the history of the Mercado Común del Sur – Mercosur’s regional economic and political cooperation and the insights it can provide to developing countries seeking to build greater integration in their region. (more…)
South Centre Comments on Revised Draft Modalities for Agriculture.
This note comments on various specific sections of the Revised Draft Modalities for Agriculture (TN/AG/W/4/Rev.2) of 19 May 2008). It highlights elements that were revised and pending contentious issues. Two tables summarizing the treatment of WTO Members with respect to tariff reduction modalities and proposals regarding remedies for volume-based SSM are also included. (more…)
Comments to the Second Revision of the WTO NAMA Draft Modalities.
This note contains preliminary comments to the second revision of the Draft modalities for WTO NAMA negotiations, released on 20 May 2008 by the Chairman of the Negotiating Group on Market Access (TN/MA/W/103/Rev.1). (more…)
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…)
A Positive Agenda for African Agriculture in EPAs.
This Analytical note gives an overview of the provisions on agriculture of the interim EPA initialed at the end of 2007 between the EU et 35 ACP countries. A better understanding of the challenges that faces sub-Saharan agriculture in its expansion as well as the implentation of (more…)
Fact Sheet 8: Competition Policy in Economic Partnership Agreements (CARIFORUM text).
This Fact Sheet Nb.8 overviews provisions related to competition policy in the CARIFORUM EPA text, initialed by 15 Caribbean countries on 16 December 2007, and assesses its developmental impacts, including for regions which have not yet agreed to competition policy provisions in their EPAs with the EU. (more…)
Comments on the Draft Modalities for WTO Agriculture Negotiations dated 8 Feb. 2008
This note comments on various specific sections of the Revised Draft Modalities for Agriculture (TN/AG/W/4 rev. 1 of 8th February 2008). It highlights elements that were revised and pending contentious issues. A useful table summarizing the treatment of WTO Members with respect to tariff reduction modalities is also included. (more…)
Fact Sheet 7: Market Access for Trade in Goods in Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs).
This Fact Sheet Nb.7 overviews market access provisions related to the liberalisation of merchandise trade under the Interim Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) that were initialed in the end of 2007 between the EU and 35 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific (ACP). (more…)
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…)
Comments to the Draft Modalities for WTO NAMA Negotiations dated 8 Feb. 2008.
This note reviews the revised Draft modalities for WTO NAMA negotiations prepared by the Chairman of the Negotiating Group on Market Access (TN/MA/W/103). After undertaking an overall assessment of the revised NAMA draft modalities text, this note comments on various specific sections thereof, (more…)
