Almost unnoticed, a development has occurred in Africa’s negotiations for their Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with Europe that could result in increased levels of foreign investment in the Caribbean and Overseas Territories.

Although the Caribbean agreed its EPA with Europe at the end of 2007, not one full agreement with the regions of Africa and the Pacific has yet been completed. The nearest to being finalised is the EPA with the seven nation Southern African grouping, SADEC, where final agreement could possibly be reached by mid-2011. What SADEC wants is a “more cooperative approach” from  Europe in areas such as competition policy, geographical indications and the ‘make or break’ issues of export taxes and the most-favoured nation (MFN) clause which requires ACP countries to extend to the EC on a line by line basis, any treatment they might negotiate with third parties.

For its part the Central African group (CEMAC) has said that it will restart its negotiation, dormant since February 2009, with the …..