scholarly journals Reflecting on Namibia’s Position in the European Union (EU)-Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) Negotiations and the Lessons for Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Charity Manyeruke ◽  
Lawrence Mhandara
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Political Activity ◽  
Import Duty ◽  
The European Union ◽  
African Countries ◽  
African Caribbean ◽  
Economic Partnership ◽  
Southern Africa Development Community ◽  
The Eu

Negotiations for Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between European Union (EU) and the African Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) have been on the spotlight since 2002. The negotiations seek to replace the Lome Conventions which provided for a one way non-reciprocal trading regime between the EU and the ACP countries. The paper examines the position of Namibia in relation to EPAs and the lessons that Africa can derive from Namibia’s stance. Namibia which is negotiating under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has declined to sign the Interim Partnership Agreements, besides initialing them in 2007, arguing that EPAs are not consistent with the objective of advancing African economies into competitive outfits in the global economy. Some of the sticking issues that need to be addressed concern EU’s demand for trade liberalization and a near elimination of import duty on all EU products to ACP zone. The paper argues that the major lessons for Africa are that EPA negotiations are much a political activity in as much as they involve the advancement of collective national interest by the EU. The paper therefore implores African countries to safeguard both political and economic interest in the process in the same manner as their EU counterparts are doing. Again, the paper exhorts Africa to negotiate from a position of strength and refuse to give in to unfair trade terms given the evident competition that is looming between the West and the East to partner Africa in development matters.

Persuading the Giant? Explaining Eastern Partnership States’ (Unexpected) Negotiation Success in Relations with the European Union

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-33
Author(s):  
Giselle Bosse ◽  
Moritz Höpner ◽  
Alena Vieira
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Eastern Partnership ◽  
Negotiation Strategies ◽  
Bilateral Relations ◽  
Economic Partnership ◽  
Partnership Agreement ◽  
Negotiation Success ◽  
The Eu

Abstract In bilateral relations and negotiations with the European Union (EU), smaller and economically weaker states are often unable to express their national preferences. Despite their limited bargaining power, however, some Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries obtained significant concessions from the EU. This article analyzes the factors that explain EaP states’ unexpected negotiation success in the context of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (DCFTA) with Ukraine, the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Armenia, and enhanced economic partnership with Belarus. We identify negotiation strategies that are crucial to understanding of the puzzle.

scholarly journals Contemporary economic relations between China and European Union

2014 ◽  
Vol 66 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 35-50
Author(s):  
Nikola Jokanovic
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Trade Relations ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Chinese Investment ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Eu

This paper will discuss the economic relations between the European Union and the People?s Republic of China. The introductory part will make an insight into the position of China in the contemporary global economy. The following part of the paper will analyze China-EU trade relations. The topics included will be a general overview of these relations since their establishing in 1975 as well as the European Union?s attitude towards the Chinese WTO membership. The Sino-EU partnership and competition will also be described and it will be followed by an overview of the Sino-EU High Level Economic and Trade Dialogue (HED). The concluding topics in this part of the paper will include Sino-EU trade flows, perceived obstacles to trade and investment as well as recent trade disputes between two trading partners. The third part of the paper will deal with Sino-EU investment flows (with an emphasis on Chinese investments in EU member states). After the introductory remarks concerning the EU investments originating from China, the paper will shed light on particular EU member states which are preferred for Chinese investment as well as the industries in which Chinese companies are willing to invest. The concluding part of this paper will offer possible development of relations between the EU and China in the near future.

scholarly journals The pros and cons of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in the context of Member States’ trade relations with the European Union (EU)

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-85
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Czermińska ◽  
Joanna Garlińska-Bielawska
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Trade Relations ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Economic Partnership Agreement ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Economic Partnership ◽  
Partnership Agreement ◽  
Benefits And Costs ◽  
The Eu

The article aims to present the benefits and costs for the SADC member countries of the conclusion of EPA and of the implementation of trade liberalisation thereunder, in the light of their trade relations with the European Union. The hypothesis adopted is that for the majority of the SADC countries entering into the agreement will involve improved access for their products to the EU market. The assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of the conclusion of an EPA will take account of a situation in which the countries of the region would not sign an EPA: how their customs status would change and whether it would affect the conditions of trade with the European Union.

The African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Group of States: From the Lomé Convention to the Cotonou Agreement and Beyond

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio Carbone
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Joint Action ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
Financial Sustainability ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Heterogeneous Cluster ◽  
Member States ◽  
Intergovernmental Organization ◽  
African Caribbean ◽  
The Eu

The African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) Group of States is an intergovernmental organization established by the Georgetown Agreement in June 1975, and it consists of 79 countries across three continents. This heterogeneous cluster of countries, originally bound by their colonial ties with the member states of the European Union (EU), came together out of the need to form a common front in the negotiations of the first ACP–EU partnership. The spirit of the Lomé Convention (1975–2000), initially considered a very progressive model of North–South cooperation, gradually evaporated; thus, the Cotonou Agreement (2000–2020), with its profound changes in the areas of aid and trade, was an attempt to normalize relations between the two blocs. The overall patchy record of the various ACP–EU partnership agreements and a number of events—notably, decreased interest within the EU, intensification of regionalization dynamics in the ACP Group, and adoption of separate strategies for cooperation with African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries and regions—cast doubts upon the relevance of the ACP–EU framework and threatened the existence of the ACP Group. Unsurprisingly, the launch of the negotiations in September 2018 for a new ACP–EU partnership was not without difficulty. While there are no doubts that the ACP Group has intrinsically been linked to the EU, at the same time it should be noted that it has attempted to promote intra-ACP cooperation, although with mixed successes at best, and to strengthen its presence in the international arena and diversify its partnerships, also in this case with limited results. Indeed, despite various pledges to support the principles of unity and solidarity, the effectiveness of the ACP Group has been compromised by the interplay of a plurality of interests, limited financial resources, and a perceived delinkage of the Brussels-based institutions from ACP national capitals. The revision of the Georgetown Agreement in December 2019, including the transformation into the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), is an attempt to reinvigorate the ACP Group, with stronger emphasis on financial sustainability, joint action for the pursuit of multilateralism, and, importantly, increased autonomy from the EU.

The European Union as a Major Trading Player in the Global Economy

2020 ◽  
pp. 45-68
Author(s):  
Zuzana Kittová
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
World Trade ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Global Trade ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Trading Partners ◽  
Balance Development ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
The Eu

This chapter critically evaluates the position of the EU within the global trade and developments of its position from a long-term perspective, and identifies the main factors behind these developments. With this aim, both the intra-EU trade and the extra-EU trade are analyzed, including the development of export and import values, along with the trade balance development and the structure of the intra-EU and extra-EU trade flows (main trading partners and main product groups). Furthermore, the development of the EU's share on the global trade is studied in comparison to the share of other main world trade players. The chapter examines the main factors that influence the position of the EU within the global trade. Finally, the prediction of the EU trade and of its position in the global economy are developed.

scholarly journals Integration Processes In The Global Economy: Current State And Prospects. The Cases Of The European Union, ASEAN Economic Community, And NAFTA

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 47-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina Witkowska
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Global Financial Crisis ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Economic Community ◽  
Member States ◽  
Current State ◽  
Asean Economic Community ◽  
The Eu

The aim of the paper is to determine the current state of the integration processes in the global economy and prognosticate on the foreseeable changes in this phenomenon in the upcoming. Will they be divergence from or continuity with the past trends in the global economy in this field? The article examines three regional integration groupings, i.e. the European Union, ASEAN Economic Community, and NAFTA. The analysis makes it possible to conclude that all of these groupings/organizations are encountering some problems. In the case of the EU, these are mainly: the two – speed integration process as far as a monetary union is concerned; serious negative consequences of the global financial crisis for the socio-economic cohesion of the EU-28; as well as a worsening position in the world trade in goods and services and in the total global gross capital inflows. The problems of the ASEAN Economic Community seem to be connected with some discrepancies between the political will in favour of deepening integration among member states and the real economic difficulties involved in attaining higher stages of integration among a group of countries extremely differentiated in their economic development. NAFTA’s problems also lie in the asymmetrical development between member states, as well as in the lessening importance of the integration within the organization for the member states, which results from the putting into effect numerous other FTAs. The growing openness of all the analyzed integration groupings, being in line with the globalization process, seems to be a future characteristic of integration processes in the global economy.

South Africa, SADC, and the European Union: Matching Bilateral with Regional Policies

1995 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Holland
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
South African ◽  
South African Government ◽  
The European Union ◽  
African Government ◽  
The Past ◽  
African Caribbean ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Made In

These comments by South Africa's Minister for Trade and Industry, Trevor Manuel, were made in November 1994 in a speech to the African-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP)—European Union (EU) ministerial meeting in Brussels. Words, of course, can be interpreted in various ways. Contrary to the seeming clarity of Manuel's request, the underlying sub-texts illustrated both the past prevarication of the South African Government and the continuing uncertainty on the part of the EU as to the appropriate shape of a new long-term relationship.

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