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Australia bullies Pacific trade ministers to try and rush FTA process (August 4, 2008)
Australian trade officials used the Pacific Forum Trade Ministers' meeting in the Cook Islands (June 22, 2008) to try to pressure Pacific trade ministers to push ahead with free trade negotiations, despite the fact the Pacific is in no way ready for those negotiations, and is still negotiating a free trade agreement with the EU.
Australian officials were hoping for a ‘heads of agreement’ with Pacific ministers – outlining what areas would be included under any FTA negotiations, and formalising the negotiating process – but this was vigorously resisted by Pacific trade ministers.

Australia

and NZ rejected Pacific proposals for the establishment of a regional trade negotiating team to engage in free trade negotiations under PACER-Plus – offering instead to support training of trade officials from each Pacific country.
PANG is concerned that while negotiations haven’t even begun, the Australians are splitting the region, by refusing to support a regional negotiating office, and by holding out carrots – like new workers’ schemes – to gain support from individual Pacific countries.
“It would be unfortunate if

Australia

and NZ were to use their position as key aid donor countries for the region, to secure their own trade interests in any FTA negotiations,” said PANG Coordinator Maureen Penjueli.
See here for PANG Press Release on Forum Trade Ministers’ Meeting, which was disseminated widely in Pacific media.

Call for moratorium on PICTA services negotiations (July 25, 2008)

In light of serious deficiencies in public consultation and Government preparedness around the region, PANG is calling for a moratorium on Service sector negotiations as part of the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA). No social impact assessments have been completed, nor have any regulatory reviews, and trade officials have admitted privately that they don’t understand the implications sufficiently to conclude negotiations at this stage. Nevertheless, negotiations continue with a view towards Pacific Island Countries listing four service sectors for liberalisation under PICTA by October 2008.PANG is calling for an immediate moratorium on the PICTA services negotiations until appropriate social impact assessments, and regulatory reviews, have been completed. More genuine consultation with industry and civil society groups on including services under PICTA is also needed.
See here for a PANG Press Release on the call for a moratorium, which was disseminated widely in Pacific media.

Pacific-EU Economic Partnership Agreement social impact assessment now available on the web (June 30, 2008)
A Social Impact Assessment of the Economic Partnership Agreement being negotiated between the European Community and Pacific ACP States was commissioned by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. The impact assessment was undertaken by the Pacific Network on Globalisation, with a final draft of the report submitted to the Forum Secretariat in March 2008. This report details some of the potential social impacts of an EPA with the EU for Pacific states, and outline ways these impacts could be mitigated. The report draws on research from six countries – Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Fiji. See here to read full report.

PANG facilitates regional trade union seminar on free trade in the Pacific (June 28, 2008)
This month PANG worked with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to facilitate a Pacific trade union seminar on Free Trade, Decent Work and Social Development in the Pacific – Trade union responses to the EU-ACP EPA, PICTA and PACER. Held in Nadi from June 24-26, the conference saw trade unionists from across the region discuss the multiple free trade agreements facing the Islands, their implications for working people, and appropriate trade union responses. PANG prepared an extensive background paper for conference participants, providing up-to-date information on each FTA facing the region, and providing suggestions for union responses to the move towards free trade in the region. Auckland University’s Professor Jane Kelsey and Oxfam NZ Advocacy and Research Officer Nick Braxton assisted in preparing the background paper and presentations during the seminar. The seminar background paper is available here.

“I think [Pacific] governments have not thought through the consequences of joining a free
trade area. We hear all this talk of efficiency and economies of scale. But the
reality is, small companies will be forced out once the big players come to town.
Governments have not worked out an alternative plan on how to reemploy
people if factories close and people are left without jobs. What will happen, is
that the jobless will march on the streets and local business owners will be
complaining that they are being squeezed out of the market by foreign
companies.”
- Dr Wardan Narsey,
former Economics Professor at the University of the South Pacific,
quoted in the Samoa Observer.

EU responds to Pacific civil society concerns and questions regarding the EPA negotiations (June 25, 2008)
A number of Pacific civil society organizations (CSOs) attended an information seminar on the ongoing negotiations for a new EPA between the EU and the Pacific Island Countries, in April this year. At that seminar, held in Madang, PNG, PANG joined other CSOs to present a list of key concerns and questions regarding the EPA negotiations and their implications for the Pacific. Those questions were submitted in writing, and two months later, the European Commission has issued a formal response. See here for the concerns and questions, and the EC’s response.

Trading away our health? New free trade agreement with the EU may undermine access to medicine in the Pacific (May 11, 2008)
The European Union is seeking stronger intellectual property (IP) rights laws in the Pacific region through a new free trade agreement (to be called an Economic Partnership Agreement). Various studies have indicated that the new rules on intellectual property proposed by the EU will offer no gains in areas of interest to the Pacific (such as the protection of traditional knowledge and genetic resources), but will advance the commercial interests of EU corporations. The proposed rules on intellectual property would restrict access to medicine, access to educational material, access to seeds used in traditional farming, and place restrictions on technology transfer, including ready access to inputs important for development, like new software, machinery, herbicides and pesticides etc. Some key papers on the EU’s proposed changes to intellectual property can be found below:

Trading Away Our Rights? Free Trade and Human Rights in the Pacific
This paper, from the Pacific Network on Globalisation, explains how the EU’s proposed changes to intellectual property will undermine access to medicine in the Pacific – in contravention of the human rights obligations of EU member states.

An Analysis of the EC Non-Paper on the Objectives and Possible Elements of an IP section in the EC-Pacific EPA.
This paper, from the Catholic agency for Overseas Development and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development, details the implications of the EU’s proposed changes to IP law for the Pacific Island countries. The author concludes that “it is strongly recommended that Pacific countries do not agree to the inclusion of an IP section in the EC-Pacific EPA.

Pacific Civil Society issues Joint Statement following Seminar on EPA negotiations. (April 30, 2008)
Following the Seminar on the Pacific-EU Economic Partnership Agreement, held in Madang, Papua New Guinea, civil society representatives at the Seminar issued a joint statement covering key concerns regarding ongoing EPA negotiations. Civil society representatives were concerned that a.) The EPAs will reduce government revenue in the Pacific, b.) The EPAs will undermine the sovereignty of Pacific peoples and governments, c.) The EPAs will harm development in Pacific countries, and d.) The EPAs will reduce the ability of Pacific governments to meet their human rights obligations to their peoples. This joint statement is endorsed by the Pacific Islands Association of Non-Government Organisations, the Pacific Network on Globalisation, the Pacific Concerns Resource Centre, the Vanuatu Association of Non-Government Organisations, the National Council of Women – Fiji, and the Fiji Chamber of Commerce. Read the full statement here.

“Liberalisation ... is it really providing a level playing field for small
and bigger nations? We cannot see that. Actually this trade
liberalisation is making small countries dance to
a tune by bigger countries. Powerful countries. ”
- Ephraim Kalsakau,
Vanuatu National Workers' Trade Union

Pacific Civil Society takes concerns directly to EU ambassadors and trade negotiators. (April 28-29, 2008)
PANG joined other national and regional civil society organisations in Madang, Papua New Guinea, this week at a seminar on the continuing negotiations for a new Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the Pacific and the European Union (EU). In late 2007, the EU forced PNG and Fiji to initial Interim-EPAs, under threat of a dramatic increase in tariffs on key exports (tuna and sugar). This year, those two countries are coming to terms with the implications of the Interim-deals they have initialed (which contain clauses that will prevent value adding of natural resources in Fiji and PNG, and restrict their ability to nurture new industries), while at the same time the EU continues to push for a broad free trade agreement with the whole region. The EU is seeking market access for its corporations, exports and investors that goes far beyond the trade liberalisation required of World Trade Organisation members - despite the fact most Pacific countries are not WTO members. At the Madang seminar, concerns and questions about the proposed EPAs were raised with the European Commission (as represented by the Head of Delegation, Papua New Guinea, Aldo Dell’Ariccia, other ambassadors and trade negotiators from Brussels). Few of those concerns and questions were addressed at the Seminar, and those concerns and questions have been submitted to the Commission in writing. See here for detailed Pacific Civil Society concerns and questions regarding the ongoing EPA negotiations.

PANG has new staff! (April, 2008)
The times are a' changing at PANG. PANG bids farewell to Roshni Sami, who has decided to move on to new opportunities, resigning from the position of Coordinator. Ms Sami served PANG well for nearly two years, and helping to grow the organisation. In her place PANG welcomes on board Maureen Penjueli as the new Coordinator. Formerly of Greenpeace and the Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International (FSPI), Maureen brings with her a wealth of campaigning and media experience in the Pacific. She said she was looking forward to taking up the challenge of fighting for fair trade in the Pacific, and a return to activism. This month PANG also took on Vinesh Prasad in the position of Administration and Accounts Officer.

Pacific Trade Ministers slam EU's approach to negotiation for new free trade deal as "divisive and domineering" (April 18, 2008)
Letters between the Coook Islands Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilkie Rasmussen, and the EU's top trade official Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson highlight an increasing anger in the Pacific about negotiations for a new Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and the Pacific Island States. It is clear from the letters that Pacific Ministers feel PNG and Fiji only signed interim-EPAs with the EU because they were threatened with a loss of exports (of tuna and sugar) if they didn't. The Ministers also feel that Mandelson has been a backroom bully, and they have passed a resolution pointing out Mandelson's "harsh and overly domineering" attitude during negotiations. Full story available here. Letters to Peter Mandelson available here.