Association Agreement between Europe and Central America International Commerce Federación Centroamericana de Cámaras Agropecuarias y Agroindustriales Roberto Echandi Agroindustry Association of producers and exporters of Nicaragua Central America Business Committee Héctor Dada Hirezi José Orive Nicaraguan Chamber of Commerce Ruben Morales Rubén Morales agrochemicals agroindustry biotechnology

Central American Businessmen Unhappy With EU Proposal

Ceca, the Central American Business Committee, is demanding the EU more flexibility when opening their market to agricultural goods.

Friday, March 26, 2010

In a press release, the entity expressed its discontent with the level of market access offered by the European Union. They are even considering walking away from the negotiations.

From Elperiodico.com.gt: “The business sector demands better market access for beef, sugar, rum and rice, and better tariffs for banana”.

Source: elperiodico.com.gt

Key entities

Central America Business Committee Federación Centroamericana de Cámaras Agropecuarias y Agroindustriales

Countries

Central America European Union

Insight

Association Agreement between Europe and Central America International Commerce

Central America Requests Greater Access to EU Market

March 2010

To close the Association Agreement with the European Union, Central American countries request greater market access for agricultural goods.

Regarding banana, Central American countries want to pay a comparable tariff to the one recently agreed in an FTA between the EU and Peru and Colombia.

New Round CA – EU With Panama

March 2010

A negotiation round for an association agreement between Central America and Europe starts this week, covering commercial aspects.

Pending topics include access for Central American agriculture products to Europe (banana and sugar) and sustainable development.

“In the latter, the EU wants to define productive and dignifying employment as one of the key aspects of globalization and international trade”, reported Prensalibre.com.

EU will negotiate access for banana

October 2008

The European Union is willing to negotiate better access for Central American banana within the framework of the bi-regional agreement of association.

The chief European negotiator, Rupert Schlgemilch, said to EF that the solution for banana is not only in Geneva, since this negotiation is about a preferential agreement, he cannot imaging the possibility of excluding banana and leaving it to be resolved by the WTO.

Fifth round of talks with EU to begin in October

September 2008

Five Central American countries will demand that the EU provide access for sugar, banana, ethanol, shrimp, and other products that are not yet included.

On that date the dynamics of the negotiations will change; previously each block of countries presented an offer to open their markets to the other party.