Luxembourg - European Union trade chief Peter Mandelson on Monday defended his plans for market-opening free trade deals with African nations, saying the accords would spur development and economic progress across the continent.
Independent development agencies, including Oxfam and ActionAid, have warned that a too-rapid opening up of African economies to more competitive EU products will increase poverty in the region.
But rejecting such 'scaremongering,' Mandelson said all 25 EU foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, had backed the free trade blueprint, including provisions for more EU aid and the introduction of more flexible EU import rules for African states.
Mandelson also underlined that he was willing to give African nations more time to liberalize their trade regimes.
African countries were not being asked to immediately overhaul their import policies and slash tariffs on European products, Mandelson insisted.
'There will be long transitional periods and increased development cooperation to smooth the adjustment process,' he said.
The EU trade chief added that the so-called 'economic partnership agreements' being offered to ACP states were more modern than the current system under which the EU gives special tariff preferences to African exports.
'We aim to create prosperous trading partners out of development recipients, moving progressively, over time from dependence to opportunity,' he said.
The EU's current trade preference-based Cotonou Agreement with 75 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries has been criticized by the World Trade Organization which says the deal discriminates against other developing nations.
Under WTO pressure to revamp the system by January 2008, the EU has opened free trade negotiations - based on a reciprocal opening up of markets - with six ACP regional groupings.
But the four-year old talks have stalled because of ACP fears that too-rapid trade liberalization will lead to increased competition with EU goods.
In a report called 'Unequal Partners' issued last week, Oxfam said the EU plan could bankrupt fledgling industries in poor countries because of stiff competition from European multinationals.
'Unless there is a radical shift in approach from the EU, these negotiations will produce free trade deals that jeopardise jobs and entire industries in developing countries,' said Oxfam campaigns and policy director Phil Bloomer.
Oxfam said the EU should drop its ambition to have reciprocal market access in ACP countries and instead, further open its own market to ACP exporters.
It added that by signing up to the EU pacts, ACP countries would lose control of tariff policy, competition and investment rules, areas seen as vital for the development of poorer countries.
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