On 9 and 10 October 2017, ITUC-Africa trade union leaders and experts, the African Regional Confederation (EATUC, SATUCC and OTAO), the ETUC (Confederation of European Trade Unions), the ITUC and the experts from civil society organisations (SEATINI, TWN-Africa, South Center) met at the ITUC-Africa headquarters in Lomé, as part of a trade union conference on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) - Africa / EU.
The items on the agenda of this conference provided an opportunity to discuss the impact of the Economic Partnership Agreements with the European Union on African countries and to exchange on past experiences with regard to trade liberalization with a focus on gender issues in the trade sector.
At the end of the conference, it was clear essentially that the EU / Africa EPAs have a negative impact on the economic and social development of African countries and that they negatively affect the development strategies advocated by States, the Regional Economic Communities, the African Union and Agenda 2063 for the promotion of industrialization, agriculture and structural transformation in Africa.
In sum, the conclusions of the conference will contribute to strengthening the ITUC-Africa Declaration on Africa-EU Economic Partnership Agreements produced and disseminated in June 2016 and to equip national and sub-regional trade union organizations for appropriate trade union action on EPAs at the national, with states and sub-regional levels, with the Economic Communities with the aim to challenge the EPAs and formulate alternatives.
The conference also helped to prepare the participation of representatives of ITUC-Africa at the next Africa / EU summit to be held in November 2017 in Abidjan.
