26 April 2007

Unfair Trade: EU against Africa, Caribbean & Pacific

From The Guaradian (UK):

Unfair trade
UK ministers, who claim to promote sustainable development, are part of a push to force developing countries to sign away their environment. Countries affected include those of the ACP (Africa Caribbean Pacific) bloc, as well nations in Central America, the Andean region of South America, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, and Venezuela.

April 26, 2007

...unfair trade deals that the European Union is forcing on 76 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, of which 39 are among the least developed in the world. These so called Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are comprehensive free trade instruments that are set to force ACP countries to eliminate trade barriers to almost all EU imports. This will expose family farmers and fledgling industry to direct and unfair competition from powerful European corporations - driving farmers off their land and causing mass unemployment....New investment rules in particular would open up and deregulate oil, mining, forestry and fishery sectors on behalf of European transnational corporations. This would undermine poor communities' access to the natural resources that fishing communities, farmers and indigenous peoples - in particular women - rely on for their livelihoods, medicines, fuel and food security needs....
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