The contents of the negotiations on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and ACP countries are alarming, when judged from the perspective of an agricultural policy focussing on sustainable development strategies for the rural poor. The liberalisation requested by the EU will expose agrarian and industrial producers in ACP countries to heavy competition from cheap EU imports without providing appropriate safeguards. If Europe is serious about its claims to promote the development of a more sustainable agriculture, then a radical turnaround in its approach towards EPAs is urgently needed.

 
David Hachfeld
Trade Policy Advisor - Oxfam Germany
Berlin, Germany
dhachfeld@oxfam.de