December 2007

The Evian Group at IMD, a coalition of top stakeholders committed to a strong multilateral regime and open world economy in our current age of global interdependence, urged for clarity and transparency in regard to the highly complex European trade negotiations with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, known as Economic Partnership Agreements.

This call came during an emergency meeting held in Lausanne, Switzerland, which was sponsored by the German Marshall Fund of the United States and held in collaboration with the Groupe d'Economie Mondiale at Sciences Po (GEM) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and successfully brought together civil society and official actors from all regions concerned in an effort to encourage dialogue on a topic that has become extremely politicized and contentious. This was exemplified in the recent public fall-out over the proposed economic partnership agreements at the Europe-Africa Summit in Lisbon. At stake is economic development and future prosperity of some of the poorest regions in the world.

“IMD is dedicated to educating current and future managers and leaders from all parts of the world to be globally competitive,” said Jean-Pierre Lehmann, Founder of the Evian Group. “As evidenced by our discussions, the Evian Group at IMD engages leaders from various sectors to ensure a level playing field for all business leaders and entrepreneurs, including those from the ACP countries.”

The Economic Partnership Agreements represent a set of WTO compliant preferential trade agreements that redefine 40 years of European economic and foreign relations with its African and Caribbean partners.

"Our objective and interest is the stability and prosperity of the countries that surround us," said Eckart Guth, EU Ambassador to the WTO. “The best way of achieving this is through economic growth, regional development, trade, investment and development aid."

Still, serious concerns have arisen on the scope and speed with which these agreements are being pushed through, with a year-end deadline for interim arrangements. Two sources of particular unease are the impact they would have on African government revenues as well as efforts at regional integration and cooperation.

These negotiations are taking place in an already difficult period in which there has been a considerable breakdown in trust between countries of the North and South, with relations between Europe and Africa at a historical low over a whole range of issues.

The Evian Group believes that if the stated objectives of poverty reduction and development of some of the most vulnerable economies are to be met, a flexible timetable needs to be implemented and alternatives should be considered that would re-energize Europe’s relations with its former colonies on an equitable and mutually enriching footing.

The Evian Group

The Evian Group at IMD is an international coalition of corporate, government and opinion leaders, committed to fostering inclusive and sustainable globalization in a rules-based multilateral framework. For more information on the Evian Group go to www.eviangroup.org.