EU/ACP Economic PartnershipAgreements: Impact, Options andPrerequisites

The EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) are presently renegotiatingtheir trade relations. Behind these negotiations are the fundamental conflict betweenthe existing arrangement and multilateral trade rules, the frustration regarding poor ACPtrade performance, the ineffectiveness of trade and trade-related ACP policies, and theinefficiency of corresponding EU assistance. This article highlights the fundamentals ofthe envisaged Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and the ACPcountries, sums up previous estimates of their probable economic impact, discussespolicy options for ACP countries and sheds light on basic prerequisites, particularly oninstitutional conditions, that should be fulfilled to ensure the success of EPAs.