Nicaraguan Kepa partner monitoring trade negotiations with the EU

The first round of the regional negotiations on trade, development, and political dialogue between Central American countries and the EU Commission took place in Costa Rica in October 2007.

Tania Vanegas from Centro Humboldt – KEPA’s partner organisation – was one of only four Nicaraguan non-governmental participants present in Costa Rica.

"The most remarkable thing was the total absence of civil society," says Vanegas. "The two things we really have to push for right now are a stronger participation and presence on the one hand, and closer cooperation with the government."

The three other Nicaraguan civil society participants were from the private sector, and it was actually thanks to the private sector demands that the possibility of participation by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) was at all opened up. "There was no consultation with us, and we were only given limited information after each day’s talks. The lack of information really worries us," says Vanegas.

The last round of talks took place in February 2008. According to Vanegas, national and regional positions are in practice decided before the negotiations, so this is when lobbying has to take place. She is worried that things are happening too fast, and that suitable mechanisms for consultation with civil society at national or regional level are not yet in place. "Both civil society and the government are still talking about how and where, whereas the Europeans already came with aggressive positions."

As part of the Central American Iniciativa-CID network Centro Humboldt is particularly lobbying to ensure that negotiations are not expanded to cover other areas outside the scope of existing World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements.

Several regional civil society networks are monitoring the negotiations. Some completely reject the talks and the idea of an agreement, which they believe will increase inequality and poverty, whereas others such as Iniciativa-CID want to influence the outcomes of the talks as much as they can.

Vanegas sees the two NGO positions as complementary. The most important thing is that civil society is engaged. She also hopes for better coordination with European civil society networks working with trade issues. A big concern in Nicaragua is that only very few people and very few sectors are in a position to benefit from trade agreements of this kind – as has been proven in the consequences of the one-year-old free trade agreement with the USA.

KEPA’s partner organisation Centro Humboldt works in Nicaragua and other Central American countries to monitor and publicise issues related to trade and development. Centro Humboldt is part of the regional Iniciativa-CID network, which campaigns on issues related to commerce, integration and sustainable development. The network was initially created to monitor and influence free trade negotiations with the USA, but is now concentrating on the ongoing negotiations with Europe.

Larissa Bruun is Kepa's programme officer in Nicaragua.