The Economic and Trade Cooperation Team is fostering a better informed and timely dialogue on the development component of EPAs, with special emphasis on accompanying measures and policies and the effective delivery of development support. Given that EPAs are an integral part of trade and development, our work will not end with the EPAs. The momentum for exploring the linkages between trade and development is also gaining strength at a mulitlateral level, as is demonstraded by debates and decisions,including the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. Read more....

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Related research & Publications

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Discussion Paper 90: Regionally Owned Funds: Mechanisms for delivery of EU Aid for Trade in ACP regions? By Corinna Braun-Munzinger, April 2009. The Cariforum-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA): The Development component. An European Parliament study by ODI, ECDPM and CaPri. Discussion Paper 86: The Aid for Trade Agenda and accompanying measures for EPAs, Current state of affairs. While potential donor and recipient countries discuss issues surrounding the demand side and the supply side of AFT, it is important to have clear ideas on what is already working (and what is not) at the multilateral, regional and national levels. To make concrete proposals for moving forward with AFT, donors and recipients have to take stock of existing programmes and identify financing gaps and needs for improvements of delivery mechanisms. Therefore, the current study aims to inform the ongoing debates by highlighting lessons learnt from existing trade-related aid schemes. To see full list of programme publications, click here. To learn more about Trade programme Practical Research, click here.

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Facilitation of dialogue and consultation on ACP-EU-trade

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As non-partisan organisation, ECDPM pursues and aims to facilitate a systematic and continuous informal dialogue with ACP and EU stakeholders. ECDPM also participate to relevant workshops and meetings. Conferences and workshops organised on Development Support for EPAs. Events attended by the Trade team.

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Aid for Trade and EU financing for T&D

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Aid for Trade (AfT) is aimed at assisting developing countries to adjust to and benefit from trade liberalization. Under the initiative, support is provided to prepare, negotiate and implement trade agreements; to produce and trade competitively and to face the adjustment costs of liberalization. Linkages between trade and development issues have always been strong within ACP-EU cooperation, and are emphasized even more in the context of EPAs. ECDPM contributes to these debates. Read more...

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Institutional development and facilitation of learning

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The ACP countries are involved in a wide range of trade negotiations, which increasingly require technical expertise, as well as negotiating skills. Constraints on capacity remain, however, despite the numerous capacity-building initiatives that have already taken place. The ECDPM’s trade team focuses on capacity building for trade, for both public-sector and private-sector actors, to enable them to perform sound analyses and to prepare effective negotiating strategies. Read more...

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Supply side approach and accompanying measures

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‘Supply-side-constraints’, the obstacles to efficient production and trade, are a systemic feature of the ACP economies. There is urgent need to define measures accompanying trade and development policies that specifically target those constraints. ECDPM undertakes research and dialogue activities to stimulate the debate on the required supply-side approaches for the ACP, including through the identification of lessons learnt from the experiences of other developing countries and the EU itself. More information coming soon.

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Strategic Partnerships

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Strategic partnerships with knowlegde institutions, particularly in Africa, to support and inform the EPA negotiations. Read more...