Development and Cooperation


	Contributions from the Column Monitor Information technology – little leapfrogging potential World Summit on the Information Society Electronic waste – digital divide becomes digital dump US food aid remains unreformed NGO report on German development aid German President launches “Partnership with Africa” New German government agrees on development policy Kortmann becomes Parliamentary Secretary ACP countries criticise EU Partnership Agreements Africa looses out in apparel competition Reforming EU’s sugar regulations 12/2005		ACP criticism of EU trade initiative The countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) connected to the European Union via the Cotonou Agreement, are committed to negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). However, they are concerned about the course the talks are taking. Edwin Laurent, ambassador of the Caribbean region, pointed this out at a public debate in Bonn in late October. According to him, the ACP countries agreed to EPA negotiations five years ago because EPAs were designed as effective instruments for development. In the course of the negotiations, however, the development aspect has faded increasingly into the background. Instead, trade liberalisation became the main focus, Laurant bemoans. In the diplomat’s view, the discussion on alternatives to EPAs for the ACP countries that are unlikely to benefit from reciprocal liberalisation does not go far enough. He wants negotiations to proceed more closely in line with their original objective. Laurent is full of praise for the international NGO campaign StopEpa because it has raised awareness of such shortcomings. Nonetheless, he criticises the NGOs for not cooperating closely enough with ACP governments. (See also essays on the EU perspective on p. 461 of this edition and on NGO disappointment on p. 383 of our October edition). (ell)