EU accuses NGOs of 'playing poker' with ex colonies' interests

The European Commission accused non-governmental organisations on Thursday of "playing poker" with Europe's former colonies by urging them to reject new trade pacts.

The 78 African, Caribbean and Pacific rim countries making up the so-called ACP group and the European Union are struggling to clinch new agreements by the end of the year, when current preferential market access is due to expire.

To mark the five years since the negotiations were launched, many pro-development pressure groups mobilised on Thursday to protest against the new so-called economic partnership agreements.

NGOs such as ActionAid and Oxfam have accused the European Commission of threatening development of ACP countries by allegedly strong-arming them to sign the new trade pacts.

In an open letter to NGOs, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and Development Commissioner Louis Michel said: "Calling for an end to ... negotiations when there is no credible alternative is playing poker with the livelihoods of those we are trying to help."

In a reaction to the letter, Oxfam said in a statement: "The (Commission's) claim that they are being flexible is belied by their behaviour in the negotiations."

The NGO added that the EU "continues to insist on the deadline and reiterate demands in areas such as services, investment and government procurement, that would have negative implications for development."

With the year-end deadline looming ever larger, the EU sought in April to boost the negotiations with an offer to scrap all tariffs and quotas on ACP countries' exports with the exception of sugar and rice.

The agreements are supposed to help ACP countries develop while they diversify their economies and meet WTO requirements that they allow for some opening of their markets to European goods and services.
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News Added: 28 September, 2007

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