AFRICA - Are new trade agreements with European Union a threat to African economies?

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - African countries and the European Union should sign new trade agreement by December this year, the agreements are called Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA). In fact the Lomé Agreements which have regulated trade between Europe and the so-called ACP (Africa Caribbean and Pacific) countries expire on 1 January 2008.
The new EPA agreement aims to open domestic markets in African countries to almost all European products in the period 2008 to 2020. The EPA agreements also foresee the liberalisation of service sectors, protection of intellectual property rights, standardisation of certifications and health and veterinary measures, definition of rules for competition and promotion, protection for foreign business investments.
The African countries are uncertain about signing these agreements in the place of the previous ones between Europe and ACP countries, which gave preferential treatment (tax exemption) for certain goods coming to the European market from these countries. The agreements were declared contrary to free competition and therefore illegal by the World Trade Organisation. The EPA agreements will continue to guarantee exemption from taxes for African goods but in exchange African markets must open to European products. The African countries fear they will be inundated by cheap goods from Europe (no longer subject to customs duty presently in force), causing serious harm to local producers already affected by the flow of articles from Asia.
African countries face a crucial dilemma: unless they reach an agreement with the European Union by December, their exports on the European market will be subject to a customs tariff of 8% and even 25% for some products. If they fail to reach an agreement they will give up a foreign market important for the growth of their economies.
A possible solution would be to foresee specific guarantees for a set period for products on which the national economies are highly dependent.
African countries appear to have no common front in the negotiations with their European counterparts. In fact the EPA agreements are sub-divided by continental area: central Africa, west Africa, south and east Africa. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 26/9/2007 righe 30 parole 385)