Europäische Handels- und Agrarpolitik gegenüber Afrika Mit einem kritischen Blick auf den Beitrag der Wirtschaftswissenschaften

Abstract

Abstract European trade policy with Africa is in deep trouble. We observe a triple policy failure. (1) The EU tries to draw African partner countries into comprehensive deep integration agreements, far more than these countries can arguably support. (2) For trade in goods, safeguard clauses in the EPAs are patchy. They cannot satisfy African needs for smart protection of agricultural and industrial businesses. Facing the refusal of some African governments to sign, the EU has no answer. Ensuing fragmentation of African regional economic communities is a disaster. Rapid repair work of the existing regional EPA drafts looks more promising than a grand solution with the new African Continental Free Trade Area. (3) Negative impact of the EU Common Agricultural Policy on African producers must finally be acknowledged and at least partly compensated. – A deeply divided economic profession delivering trunked analyses with regard to all three complexes is unfortunately of limited help to policy-makers.