Trade deals undermine Ireland’s development aid programme

The Select Committee on Foreign Affairs' decision to approve the proposed European Partnership Agreements between the EU and a number of African countries will severely damage the economic development of poor countries, according to Trócaire's trade policy officer, Michael O'Brien.

"The Select Committee on Foreign Affairs passed a motion accepting new trade agreements against the concerns of African governments, negotiators and African and European organisations, which called for the agreements to be rejected. 

"The agreements will deprive the poorest countries of the trade policy tools Ireland and Europe have used to promote their own development," said Michael, branding them as a "recipe for stagnation".

“The will lock Africa into a pattern of trade which satisfies Europe's demand for primary commodities, while eroding Africa's capacity to diversify into value added goods. Development objectives, including reducing the number of people living in hunger, obviously take a back seat to Europe's trade agenda," he said.