http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v7/wn/newsworld.php?id=945629
"We Will Not Be Held Hostage By The EU," Says Namibia's Deputy Minister
ARANDIS, Namibia, April 27 (Bernama) -- The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Tjekero Tweya says Namibia will not be held hostage by the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Europe, Namibia's Press Agency (Nampa) reported.
"If the European Union (EU) does not want our beef, the world is looking forward to our beef. We will not be held hostage because of the Economic Partnership Agreement, which is not being negotiated fairly," Tweya charged on Thursday during the official opening of the two-day Arandis Investment Conference and Mining, Mineral and Energy Expo.
The European Union (EU) Parliament has set a deadline of Oct 1, 2014, for African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries that have not yet signed EPAs for EU market access for the signing of such agreements.
Should the countries fail to do so, they will forfeit their preferential market access into the EU.
The Economic Partnership Agreements are being contested because countries fear unfair competition from the EU market.
Tweya said here that a national consultative meeting is underway in Windhoek, which is aimed at reflecting on the challenges and opportunities that have emerged from the EPA negotiations, which should have been included six years ago.
"The EU is saying that if Namibia wants to sell its products in Europe, then Namibia should play by the EU rules, and we are saying no. If they do not want beef anymore, we will also not sell them our diamonds, amongst others," he fumed.
Namibia exports fish, beef and grapes to the EU.
The negotiation of EPAs is rooted in the ACP countries' and EU Cotonou Agreement, which was not compliant with rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) with respect to its trade regime.
Namibia's stance on the EPA issue is that it was meant to address the issue of non-compliance to become a reciprocal, albeit still asymmetrical trade agreement between the ACP and the EU.
The investment conference ended on Friday.
-- BERNAMA
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look for interview of emanuela scarponi in pubblicazioni www.africanpeople.it