“The accords must be concluded respecting reciprocal interests and especially after having carried out deep discussions: we believe that the EU does not deal with us as equals and especially that it has failed to clarify some critical aspects”. So said the president of Namibia, Hifikepunye Pohamba, after meeting his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma in Pretoria, speaking about the economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) between the EU, Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP). Pohamba said that while there have been meetings between EU representatives and ACP countries, and the latter have expressed doubts over the effectiveness of the ACP such as they have been drafted, “the European delegates appear not to be willing to listen and they continue to insist on the need to sign these commercial accords”. Both South Africa and Namibia have refused to sign the APE’s, while other countries from the southern African Development Community (SADC) have already signed temporary accords with the EU, providing for reciprocal access of national products on European and African markets without duties. Presented as development opportunities and having been negotiated for the past five years, the APE’s are expected to modify the way goods are exchanged between the EU and the ACP countries as first established by the ‘Cotonou accords’, that have been in place for the past 25 years. The signing of the intents, initially established for December 2007, has been postponed because of a failure to reach a comprehensive accord. [AB]