NewsWhore
09-15-2006, 04:30 PM
The Dominican Republic is becoming concerned about the delay in receiving a concrete response from the European Union about requests for resources needed by the country to make the changes needed in order to be in line with the Economic Partnership Agreement. During an event held yesterday, the National Business Committee for International Associations, which is led by chief trade negotiator Julio Ortega, business leaders agreed that the main problem with the negotiations is that so far the EU hasn't been willing to discuss the dimensions of their development plan for the Dominican Republic.
Ortega is quoted in El Caribe as saying that the EU should make development resources available for the African, Caribbean, and Pacific nations (ACP), in the same way it made EUR100 billion available when Spain entered the European Union. Ortega said that the agreement with the EU could mean EUR9 billion for the ACP nations.
During the upcoming Fifth Cariforum meeting that will be held in the DR, Caribbean nations will discuss the details of the agreements with the EU.
However, the agreement has its detractors. A report prepared by Oxfam International indicates that the EU EPA agreement doesn't offer any advantages to the participating Caribbean nations, and doesn't favor the region's development. On the contrary, it could jeopardize some countries' fulfillment of the United Nations Millennium goals. Oxfam concludes that any agreement in the region should have poverty reduction and sustainable development as its overall objectives. Oxfam asserts that this agreement doesn't fulfill any of these conditions. According to Oxfam International's Simon Ticehurst, criticisms of the agreement include the need for the ACP countries to open their markets to European products if they want their products to enter EU countries free of tax and quotas.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#7)
Ortega is quoted in El Caribe as saying that the EU should make development resources available for the African, Caribbean, and Pacific nations (ACP), in the same way it made EUR100 billion available when Spain entered the European Union. Ortega said that the agreement with the EU could mean EUR9 billion for the ACP nations.
During the upcoming Fifth Cariforum meeting that will be held in the DR, Caribbean nations will discuss the details of the agreements with the EU.
However, the agreement has its detractors. A report prepared by Oxfam International indicates that the EU EPA agreement doesn't offer any advantages to the participating Caribbean nations, and doesn't favor the region's development. On the contrary, it could jeopardize some countries' fulfillment of the United Nations Millennium goals. Oxfam concludes that any agreement in the region should have poverty reduction and sustainable development as its overall objectives. Oxfam asserts that this agreement doesn't fulfill any of these conditions. According to Oxfam International's Simon Ticehurst, criticisms of the agreement include the need for the ACP countries to open their markets to European products if they want their products to enter EU countries free of tax and quotas.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#7)