Accra, Aug. 28, GNA - The Convention Peoples Party (CPP), on Tuesday said that the relationship between Africa and Europe under the guise of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) was one of the subtle forms of neo-colonialism.

"The commitment to negotiate a new agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP) and the European Union by December 31, 2007 must be understood as a continuation of the classical relationship of a colonial economy and its metropolitan patron," Mr Oteng Anane, Youth Organizer of the Party said.

Mr. Anane was speaking at a forum organized by the Abibiman Foundation, a non-governmental organization to discuss the Economic Partnership Agreement with a focus on youth contribution to development. The forum brought together youth groups from various political parties, including the Great Consolidated Peoples Party, Convention peoples Party, National Democratic Congress, Peoples National; Convention (PNC), the Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalitions as well as representatives of non governmental organization and the European Union. Mr Oteng Anane pointed out that the EU wanted to draw attention to gains from a competitive domestic economy with low imports prices, domestic price stability, consumption gains, low inputs cost and increased investments when the EPA was finally endorsed come December 31 this year.

"It is very much significant that the interests of local industries must be the paramount concern for our governments in the negotiations in other to safeguard the protection of the economy from subsidized and cheap European goods flooding our markets."

He noted that, if the removal of trade barriers on more than 60 percent of trade between the EU and ACP should be sealed, as EPA in its current form posits, then it was likely that, "our local industries, especially the agricultural sector will eventually collapse." Mr. Anane observed: "It will, in a long run produce an economy of young people with skills that do not meet the challenges of the economic regime. In short, the nation will find herself in an economic system that does not support her own initiative."

The operations of the EU, he said would not only discriminate against Ghana and other African countries but will also perpetuate the many artificial barriers, which are imposed on Africa by the European colonial masters.

Referring to the Cotonou Agreement, the CPP Youth Organizer noted that instead of contributing to regional integration, the EPA sought to undermine regional integration, saying, "The higher poverty increases the danger it set for the youth to be frustrated; the more social unrest and more young people recruited as child soldiers." Mr. Anane called on the ACP negotiators, the government of Ghana and the ECOWAS secretariat to see the need for the EPA to be youth specific and to design to meet the countries' youth development agenda or be informed on the possible implications of the EPA on youth development. "We prefer EPA covering 55 percent of all substantive trade and 45 percent of sensitive products for the ACP countries. This will provide sufficient flexibility for the ACP countries..."

Mr. Anane further called on government to involve political parties to take interest and participate in the process of EPA.

"The European powers are forcing the conclusion pacts which will give the control seal of our foreign policy to them and the youth of Africa will continue to exist in an entity in name only, for our liberty of action will be gone forever. We must safeguard our trading position," he said Mr Kofi Adams, Deputy National Youth Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who shared similar sentiments said major consequences of the EPA, when signed in its current state would be unfair competition and unemployment, resulting in worsening poverty as well as substantial loss of revenue.

"With 20 percent tariff on poultry entering Ghana, Ghana's poultry sector which provides about 80,000 jobs to Ghanaians directly and 450,000 indirectly has been priced-out."

Mr. Adams called for sufficient financial and technical assistance to ensure that transparent structured and participatory consultation and debate could take place at both national and regional levels. He cautioned that funding the above process should not come with conditions attached or involve outside influence from EU members. Mr Adams said: "The EU should not exert disproportionate pressure on West African countries to conclude negotiations by the end of 2007 because the negotiation text does not adequately serve the objective of promoting development and reducing poverty."

Mr Bernard Mornah, Youth Organizer of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) supported his colleagues from the other political parties and strongly called for citizens' involvement and participation in deciding the EPA.

He said the negotiations could not be limited to only heads of states and Ministers since it was crucial and could affect the future of Ghana and Africa as a whole.

Dr Dick Niezer, EU representative, however said the EPA was made in the best interest of Ghana, Africa and future generations. He explained that the EU had only given a proposal and was waiting for the ACP to bring their own proposal so that the two parties could come to a compromise.

Mr Samuel Opoku - Agyakwa, Programmes Coordinator of the Friedrich -Ebert Foundation, said it was reassuring that the current generation of politically active youth were willing and capable of discussing development issues that have international dimensions The Economic Partnership Agreement, is advocating free trade agreements which propose that Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Countries liberalize almost 90 percent of all their productive capacity, excluding no productive capacity and substantially covering all forms of trade in which there are no duties on goods imported and exported between the two countries. The EPA is based on a principle of reciprocity. 28 Aug. 07