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harder then in the WTO. The economic
partnership agreements (EPAs) dealing with
the Singapore issues (competition, public
procurement, investment, administrative
trade facilitation) which are strongly rejected
by development countries in WTO
negotiations. This will lead towards brought
opening of markets, lack of tax revenue and
a heavy burden for national industrialisation
in developing countries.
In the EU it is widely accepted that former
colonial powers play a leading role in
policy issues towards the respective country.
There is no official reaction against a
(miss?) leading role of French political (and
military) advisors in the Cameroonian
government. There is no authorized Cameroonian
negotiator. The Economic Commission
of Africa (ECA) holds the negotiations
with the EU for the Central-African region.
A team financed by the UN with international
experts sits in Yaoundé the capital of
Cameroon on behave of Cameroon, Central
African Republic, Gabon, Chad, Congo,
Equatorial Guinea and Saõ Tomé and Principe.
Germany wants to bring EPAs up on the
agenda during their EU presidency in the
first half of 2007, when EPA negotiations
coming to an end. The responsibility for
EPA negotiations is placed in the BMZ,
ministry for development cooperation, and
not inside the BMWA, which shows development
orientation.
In the Cotonou Agreement, actually
much place is dedicated to the civil-society
as partners in the negotiations 5 . This claim
fails in the practice. A consultation from
the Cameroonian government doesn’t take
place. A national reunion with participation
of the civil-society intended in the Cotonou-
Agreement is postponed since 2003 until
Nov. 2005 by the Cameroonian department
of commerce. The first information meeting
between Cameroonian Government
and Civil Society was held on 25-27 august
2003 a second took place 50 month later on
14. / 15. Nov. 2005. They are called information
seminars and the one-way communication
lacks of contribution and participation
possibilities. The CEMAC-EU negotiation
reunions are more open to civil society
contributions.
Examples of Agenda conflicts
While the Cotonou agreement is just
„aiming at creating a favourable environment
for private investment“ 6 , is the EU in
the EPA trying to impose the topics: non-
discrimination, open markets, transparency
and protection of investments. For bilateral
trade agreements this is one example for a
unique WTO plus-plus agenda.
The Cotonou Agreement wants open
and transparent public procurement as a
means of good governance. The EU is pushing
hard to have open, reciprocal markets
in all public procurement questions on the
basis of non-discrimination to European
suppliers. No one sees African enterprises
on the European procurement market.
For the Cameroonian market the promotion
and protection of small and medium
sized enterprises is important – the EU is
refusing to negotiate this topic.
Free trade and trade liberalisation as aim
in itself is a conflicting issue. While the EU
is promoting free trade as stimulant for
development, various studies 7 and several
political voices take this into question. The
loss of import tax revenue and decreasing
local production will be a burden for the
Cameroonian economy. In the Cotonou
Agreement alternatives for EPA are scheduled
in Art. 37: If ACP-countries are „not in
a position“ to enter EPAs, but no EU or
CEMAC proposition for alternatives has
seen the public.
Even if the content and the style of the
negotiations are under harsh critics from
different north and south civil society organisations,
the process itself bears some
benefits. First to mention the role of civil
society organisations as partner in the development
process. Which is new for most
ACP Governments but shows already some
mutual benefits. For further discussion processes
in ACP societies and the democratisation
process this can be groundbreaking.
Second the complementary role of ACP
parliamentarians. The role of parliamentarians
in the political process is weak in
Cameroon. But the regular EP-ECP Joint
Parliamentarian Assemblies, last in Nov.
2005 in Edinburgh gives possibilities for
exchange 8 .
Obstacles in the process
The EU has divided the group of developing
countries, this make their common
position weaker and the aim of regional
integration remains unclear.
Often the EU negotiates in Cameroon
with French policy advisors to the Cameroonian
Government. Which gives the
negotiations certain stability due to fluctuation
in Cameroonian Ministries, but shows
a lack of real Cameroonian participation.
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