Agritrade: Agricultural and fisheries trade issues for ACP countries: 2010 Compendium

Alpha, Arlene; Goodison, Paul; Gorez, Beatrice; Ponte, Stephano; Stevens, Christopher; Sureau, Solene. 2010. Agritrade: Agricultural and fisheries trade issues for ACP countries: 2010 Compendium. CTA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Permanent link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10568/63665

Abstract/Description

The second in a series launched in 2009, this 2010 Compendium offers a collection of critical reviews of issues related to agricultural and fisheries trade for the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries published on the Agritrade website between 2009 and 2010.

Notes

The ACP–EU Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is pleased to release the 2010 Compendium, the second in a series launched in 2009. It offers a collection of critical reviews of issues related to agricultural and fisheries trade for the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries published on the Agritrade (http://agritrade.cta.int) website between 2009 and 2010. The food -price crisis of 2008–09, and the overall economic and financial crisis associated with high price volatility on the world markets, have contributed to undermining the position of a large number of ACP countries, which still depend heavily on trade in agricultural products. The deadlock in World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations and the rise of free -trade agreements between the European Union (EU) and other developing countries (particularly Latin America), combined with price reductions on the European market via Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform, have greatly contributed to eroding the benefits of preferential access to European markets previously enjoyed by ACP countries. The latest example is the Agreement on Bananas, concluded between the EU and the Andean countries in December 2009. At the same time, ACP–EU negotiations on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), which aim to establish reciprocal market access conditions, continue to play a prominent role in the ACP-EU agenda. However, despite recent progress in the technical negotiations, a number of contentious issues remain unresolved at the time of publication, such as the clauses on most-favoured nation treatment, special safeguard clauses, infant industry protection provisions, rules of origin, etc. All these technical issues require a deep analysis of their implications for the ACP countries, to help them in their negotiations and tackle the underlying adjustments required of their economies. The Executive Briefs are updated annually and are available on the Agritrade website. This compilation aims to enhance the dissemination of information that is available to ACP stakeholders. The three main topics covered include the following issues : • agricultural trade issues – WTO negotiations, EPA negotiations, EU market access, CAP reform, food safety/SPS ; • fisheries trade issues – WTO negotiations, ACP–EU Fisheries Partnership Agreements, market access, EU common fisheries policy (CFP) reform ; • trade policy issues for commodities including bananas, sugar, coffee, cotton, cereals, oilseeds, beef, and fruit and vegetables. We trust the 2010 Compendium will enjoy even greater success than the 2009 publication and will continue to serve the needs of ACP stakeholders. I join the Agritrade editorial team in thanking you for your dedication, wishing you happy reading, and would like to take this opportunity to reaffirm CTA’s commitment to supporting the agricultural development agenda of ACP countries by supporting the sharing of information and experiences, facilitating ACP–EU dialogue and building capacity on issues related to agricultural and fisheries trade. Michael Hailu Director, CTA