TRADE JUSTICE AND ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS WITH AFRICA

Early day motion 333, tabled 7 December 2004 by John Battle (Labour). Signed by 182 members.

That this House welcomes the United Kingdom Government's commitment to tackling African poverty in 2005; notes that changes in trade rules to ensure trade justice are vital to achieving poverty reduction in developing countries, particularly in Africa; notes with concern that current proposals by the European Commission for free trade areas with Africa through economic partnership agreements could lead to the liberalisation of 90 per cent. of African trade over 12 years, including agricultural products; further notes with concern that the European Commission is refusing to talk about its own Common Agricultural Policy in these talks; further notes that economic partnership agreements may undermine Africa's own regional trade integration; further notes that Europe is including issues in these talks that have been rejected by those African countries at the World Trade Organisation; and calls on the United Kingdom Government to lead the way for changes in the Commission's negotiating mandate to take account of these concerns and take an important step towards trade justice by fulfilling its own commitments to provide alternative forms of market access into the EU to those African countries which do not want to sign up to economic partnership agreements.

Signatures by party: Labour 114, Liberal Democrat 31, Labour/Co-operative 14, Conservative 8, Plaid Cymru 4, Scottish National Party 4, UUP 3, DUP 2, Independent 2.