WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2010-11-30 Time: 18:00:02 Posted By: News Poster
African leaders meeting with their European counterparts today are set to demand a major shift in the European Union’s approach to ongoing negotiations over a new trade pact, in which the EU is demanding a greater access to African markets in exchange for investments, PANA reported Sunday.
“We hope we can discuss the contentious issues during this Summit,” African Union Commission’s Deputy Chairperson, Erastus Mwencha, told PANA on the sidelines of an EU-Africa Business Forum, which ended on Saturday.
The forum gathered senior company executives from Africa and Europe to discuss various topics including the availability of raw materials for industrial production between the two blocs.
The EU is offering 6.5 billion Euros over the next five years to entice the West African region to negotiate an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), under which the EU seeks to get guarantees of unfettered access to the African markets.
But, opponents of this proposed trade agreement said the African economies were not prepared and ready to accommodate stiff competition from European goods, due to the region’s high level of industrialisation.
Besides, African civil society campaigners opposed to the EPAs said the African governments could survive if import taxes were severely affected under this pact.
Should the Africans agree to deep cuts in the import taxes sought under the supposedly reciprocal trade agreement being negotiated, these opponents said the fight against poverty would be lost because African states would lose their domestic revenues, which is crucial for funding free education, health and crucial services in most part of the continent.
‘Africa is not able to pursue its domestic agenda under the current context,’ Mwencha confirmed.
The AU, in reaction to the complaints from its 53 member states, ordered a total freeze in the EPA negotiations until all the impending disagreements are sorted out with the EU.
But the Eastern African states, rushing to beat a deadline for the signing of an interim pact in 2008 to avoid the prospect of losing lucrative export opportunities to Europe, signed an interim agreement.
‘It is clear that the reinvigorated partnership holds immense potential for both Africa and the EU,’ Mwencha stated. ‘However, to achieve the desired win-win, Africa and the EU must work together to ensure that their respective interests are preserved.’
He said the EPAs could affect the rate of economic integration in Africa, with specific effects on the private companies operating in Africa.
‘Africa sees its future in the consolidation of the ongoing regional and continental integration and, therefore, any trade engagement must be supportive of such processes,’ Mwencha said.
Meanwhile, Belgian Development Minister Charles Michel, whose country is gearing to take over the European Presidency, said the EU-Africa Summit needs to tackle the outstanding issues over the economic pact at the high est political levels.
‘This agreement should reflect will and reality. The debate on the partnership agreement is required at the highest political levels,’ Michel said.
Original date published: 30 November 2010
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201011300721.html?viewall=1