EU To Sign Trade Agreements with ASEAN, ACP

 Print E-mail
Written by Akli Hadid   
Sunday, 14 October 2007
Share/Bookmark


  • The EU has trade agreements with 36 countries. It is now turning to regional blocks to sign trade agreements with.
  • This year, the EU has put a lot of emphasis on reaching trade deals with other countries, some of them who are traditionally closed economies, others who are transition economies and are seen as world emerging economies.
  • When MEPs visited Hanoi last week, the EU has started FTA negotiations with ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations, which holds ten members. Most member countries are emerging countries that have experienced impressive economic growth over the past few years, thanks to a switch to a market economy and have developed a strong tourism industry. They are relying on investment from EU countries to support the growth of their economy. One example of booming ASEAN economy is that of Vietnam which grew 8.2% in 2006 and has an unemployment rate of about 2%
  • The same week, the EU commissioners went to Jamaica to negotiate a trade agreement with ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific countries). The organization has 79 countries. The Cotonou agreement was signed between the two trade groups in 2000, from which originated the Economic Partnership Agreement.
  • The benefits of trade agreements
  • Using David Ricardo’s theory of comparative advantage, we can come to the conclusion that free trade agreements are always beneficial to both parties. By signing free trade agreements and other preferential trade agreements with major regional blocks, European investors and importers can benefit from the arrangements. And the EU can accelerate its economic growth by relying on trade partnerships with other trade blocks similar to the EU.
  • The EU should focus on expanding its trade networks and imposing a “made in the EU” consumption type in foreign countries. EU trade agreements can also be beneficial to the emergence of developing countries. EU investment is always welcome, as it is not lacking capital. In the case of ASEAN, the EU is ASEAN’s second largest export market and the third largest trading partner after the United States and Japan. The EU has the potential, as the world’s largest market, to become ASEAN’s first trading partner. The Free Trade agreement between the two blocks should help.
  • What is preventing the EU from imposing itself as the top investor in third world countries? The EU should perhaps unify its marketing policies in order to create EU brands that should compete with major US brands. Therefore, the EU should innovate in different sectors, while encouraging such policies, as well as adapting its internal structure to encourage the emergence of major companies that can impose themselves worldwide. It is saddening that French major corporation Carrefour has not been able to compete with other brands in Korea, as it has not adjusted to the local culture. Although the EU is a dominant force in terms of business in the world, there is still room for improvement. And reaching trade agreements around the world is another step towards European economic growth.

Akli Hadid 
Seoul (South Korea)


Send your comments:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it                                          
Last Updated ( Monday, 15 October 2007 )
 
< Prev   Next >
[ Back ]

Image de la semaine
Non ce n'est pas une affiche de campagne en Turquie, mais bien celle du parti socialiste autrichien (SPÖ) pour les élections d'octobre prochain à Vienne. Après les affiches de campagne de Strache qui plaide pour le "pur sang viennois" c'est la course au populisme?


Wien-Wahl: Politiker sprechen türkisch: 200.000 Neoösterreicher Wähler haben Migrationshintergrund. Die Parteien buhlen um ihre Stimmen - gerne auch in einer Fremdsprache.(Kurier 25/08/2010)

section: Portofolio
 
Latest articles
NewropMag Blog Press Review
mod_dbrss2 AJAX RSS Reader poweredbysimplepie
Cartoon of the week

(click on the image to enlarge)



 
Focus
Conférence-Débat Justice en Europe

La deuxième rencontre du cycle
“LA DEMOCRATIE EN DANGER”,
consacrée à la Justice en Europe

Le lundi 13 septembre
de 19h30 à 22h00
Salons de l’Aveyron
17 Rue de l'Aubrac
75012 Paris


A l’heure où les discours et les mesures sécuritaires et judiciaires se durcissent dans nombreux pays européens, où l’on sait les atteintes aux droits les plus élémentaires et aux principes fondamentaux des simples citoyens, quels traitements sont réservés à ceux qui tiennent les pouvoirs politiques, financiers, économiques entre leurs mains? Une conférence-débat organisée dans le cadre du cycle La démocratie en danger par Les Amis de Beppe Grillo à Paris et le NewropMag.

Intervenants: les députés européens Luigi De Magistris, Sonia Alfano et Rosario Crocetta ; Harald Greib, vice-président de Newropeans en charge des affaires des institutions européennes ; Eric Alt, magistrat, membre de l’association MEDEL (magistrats européens pour la démocratie et les libertés) et de l’association Anticor, et Corinne Lepage, députée européenne et ex Ministre de l’environnement, engagée dans la lutte contre la corruption politique et financière.

Parmi les sujets de discussion:
- L'infiltration des organisations criminelles et le vide législatif relatif en Europe
- Les récentes dépénalisations des crimes financiers et économiques en Italie, en France et leur traitement au sein des institutions européennes
- Présomption d'innocence ou de culpabilité? L'exemple de la “loi bâillon” sur les écoutes téléphoniques qui viole les recommandations de l’OSCE concernant l’emploi de sources et de matériels nécessaires aux investigations journalistiques au service de la démocratie.

Contacts:
Micaela Bracciaferri, Coordinatrice “Les Amis de Beppe Grillo à Paris »
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Marianne Ranke-Cormier, Rédactrice en chef du NewropMag
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Entrée libre sur pré-inscription auprès de
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

 
ZicClipEurope
A private meeting between the Euro and the Dollar.

Read more here: Dollar vs Euro "Who's the mast€r?" - Blog: ZicClipEurope
 
Podcast: "La France en 2020" - France Inter "Le Téléphone sonne"

Le 22 juillet dernier, Franck Biancheri, Directeur des études de LEAP, et éditorialiste du NewropMag, était invité à l'émission de France Inter "Le Téléphone sonne" sur le thème : "La France en 2020"

Réécouter l'émission en podcast !
{enclose Letelephonesonne.mp3}

Le Téléphone sonne - France Inter 22/07/2010: "La France en 2020"
 
Syndicate
Newsletter

Keep yourself updated with our FREE newsletters now!