Special Topic
Panel Discussion – Wednesday, 30 May 2007, 16.30h
“Can Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) promote Value Chains? Learning from Good Experience in Trade Policy”
The Panel discussion focussed on the potential role that Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) can play in promoting value chains in ACP countries and regions. The EPAs aim at improving market access for ACP producers in the EU, enhance regional integration and contribute to the overall competitiveness of ACP producers and exporters. Past experience with EU preferences is mixed. The future design of EU's rules of origin is of utmost importance for the possibility for ACP States to actually make use of the preferential market access.
Questions the panel addressed included:
- How far can EPAs go in promoting regional value addition?
- Can trade agreements more generally be harnessed to promote value chains?
- Will simpler rules of origin assist value addition?
- What other measures are at hand to complement the EPAs and support the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of countries to become more active players in global value chains?
