Instead of being free to follow economic policies that best suit them, poor countries in southern Africa are being put under enormous pressure to open up their markets and expose their producers to unfair competition.

Trade could help poor countries develop, but instead the rules are stacked up against them. Southern African countries are being forced to reduce their trade barriers, so heavily subsidised products from overseas flood their markets, while rich countries impose high taxes on processed goods sold on their markets.

EPAs Campaign

Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are trade agreements the European Union (EU) is forcing on African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACPs). These regional agreements liberalise trade between the EU and ACP countries, threatening to have a disastrous impact on jobs, small farmers livelihoods, local industry and the environment for developing countries, especially in southern Africa.

Rather than helping poor countries use trade to overcome poverty, EPAs in their current form will flood African markets with European goods, causing harm to vulnerable people and increasing poverty. EPAs will only benefit European countries while worsening the already difficult situation in southern Africa by undermining intra-Africa regional cooperation and integration, destroying jobs and creating problems in critical sectors including education, health and poverty reduction.

ACTSA wants to see the European Union promote a pro-development trade policy. Read ACTSA's latest briefing paper on EPAs and support our campaign for fairer trade.

• EPAs Update - Summer 2009

• EPAs Update - Feb 2008

• New Deals, New Dangers