What are the timeframes for liberalisation?
The European Union is not pushing a simple ‘liberalisation’ agenda. The EPAs aim at long transition periods for the ACP (certainly more than the 12 years used in other agreements) and will maintain exceptions for sensitive products – exceptions that Peter Mandelson has said he will defend in the WTO if necessary. Studies and experience show clear economic evidence that regional integration and trade liberalisation between the ACP countries themselves brings clear economic benefits. The idea that ACP countries are always threatened by imports is mistaken. In any case, it is healthy for countries, including developing economies, to take in new imports. These can be the very inputs necessary for local producers to develop and diversify away from the current dependence on commodities and into areas such as value-added industries. Although the EU is often accused of having an aggressive liberalisation agenda in ACP markets it is important to bear in mind that the EU exports to ACP markets r
