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First and Second Transmissions for today Friday, June 25, 2009
Begins at: =================== 1800 hours

Major Events Expected Include:

Senegal: EPA October deadline may be missed - ECOWAS

Attention Subscribers: Credit GNA with all stories used
End memo
GNA
JA
25 June 09

EXPO 01
NECO
Economics Agreement EPA
EPA October deadline may be missed - ECOWAS, Civil Society

Senegal, June, 25, GNA - The October deadline for the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) between the European Union (EU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which would improve the Sub-region's exports to the European market, is likely to be missed.
Dr Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, Trade Programme Co-ordinator for Civil Society Organizations in West Africa, who made this known at Sali in Senegal on Wednesday, was however, sure that negotiations would probably continue till January 2010 since both the EU and ECOWAS had not agreed on the percentage of the market they intend to be liberalized.
Dr Dieye was speaking at the opening of a regional workshop organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, a German based nongovernmental organization.
The workshop, which was on the theme: "Negotiations between EU and ECOWAS: "Where does the West African Press Stand," brought together economic journalists from Ghana, Benin, Mali, Senegal and Nigeria.
The Economic Partnership Agreement is a proposed trade agreement by the EU to Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) countries seeking reciprocal trade arrangement with non-tariff barriers, to encourage the liberalization of the various markets.
The proposed agreement, which should have been signed by December 2007 was opposed by West African countries with the exception of Ghana and Cote d' Ivoire.
Ghana and Cote d' Ivoire pledged commitment to sign the agreement once negotiations are fully completed.
The EU proposed June 30 this year as deadline to sign the full EPA; however, ECOWAS did not conform to the agreement, hence the shift to the October deadline.
Dr Dieye said the contending issues between ECOWAS and EU was that West Africa is proposing 60 percent liberalization while Europe recommended 80 percent.
"There are still a lot of issues to deal with. I do not see ECOWAS signing the EPA in October," he stressed.
Mr Amadou Niang, Senegalese Minister of Commerce, however, expressed optimism that ECOWAS could sign the agreement in October.
He admitted that the negotiation process was difficult because there were crucial development issues that West African countries had to deal.
Mr Niang said Senegal was committed to ensure that West Africa would benefit if the agreement was signed.
GNA
BAA/JA
25 June 09


EXPO 02
NECO
Economic EPA Society
EPA negotiations need a social dimension - Senegal

Senegal, June 25, GNA - Mr Amadou Niang, Senegalese Minister of Commerce, on Wednesday called for a social approach to the negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) between the European Union (EU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He said the discussion should involve civil society since the decisions taken in the agreement would have political, social and economic impact on people.
He, therefore, commended civil society organizations actively following the negotiations saying their intervention was necessary.
Mr Niang was speaking at a workshop organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) for economic journalists in the Sub-Region on the theme: "Negotiations between EU and ECOWAS; where does the West African Press Stand."
The workshop brought together journalists from Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Benin and Cote d' Ivoire.
Mr Niang said West Africa's overall development was based on economic development within the region and suggested that regional integration should be facilitated to help deal with the development challenges.
The Economic Partnership Agreement is a proposed trade agreement by the EU to Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) countries seeking reciprocal trade arrangement with non-tariff barriers to encourage the liberalization of the various markets.
GNA
BAA/JA
25 June 09

EXPO 03
NPOL
Politics Obama Benefits
Du Bois Centre to mark President Obama's visit

Accra, June 25, GNA - The W. E. B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture on Thursday outlined activities to mark President Barack Obama's visit to Ghana next month.
The activities include screening of two African centered films on June 28. The first film focuses on ancient Egypt and the second film on West African empires after the fall of Ancient Egypt, the Sahara and Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.
The climax of activities is slated for July 10th with a public discussion on the theme: "The Historic visit to Ghana, Benefits to Ghanaians, Continental Africans and Africans in the Diaspora."
In a statement to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, the Du Bois Memorial Centre urged Ghanaians and Africans to take advantage of the historic visit, which has caused the global world community to see the African Continent in a much more positive light.
The statement said dignitaries expected to participate in the public discussion include Ministers of State, Members of Parliament, Africans in the Diaspora, media practitioners and the cross section of the public.
The centre called on the public to participate in the activities to ensure that Ghanaians share rich experience on the development of the country as well as establishing mutual relationship with the rest of the world.
The Centre is a national monument to the memory of the "Father of Pan-Africanism," Dr. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois.
GNA
DK
25 June 09
Attention Recipients: EXPO 03 ends our first and second casts.