In May 2010 the negotiations for an Association Agreement (AA) between the European Union and Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama), initiated in October 2007, were finalised.

The AA contains three pillars – political dialogue, cooperation and trade. For the agreement to enter into force, on the EU side it needs to be signed by the Council and ratified by the European Parliament and the parliaments of member states.

However, the European Commission has presented the agreement to the Council in October 2011 proposing that once the European Parliament ratifies the agreement, the trade pillar would be applied inmediately.

This proposal as well as the offensive trade agenda negotiated by the EU with 150 times smaller economy of Central America raises questions whether this agreement is much more than a free trade agreement.

APRODEV wants to enhance informed discussions on the consequences of the EU trade policies for Latin America and has elaborated together with other networks a briefing on the contents of the EU trade agreements with Central America, Colombia and Peru which the European Parliament will discuss during the second half of 2012. The briefing can be found here.

Civil society reports and briefings

• Not all that is green is good - Expansion of palm oil &-sugar cane production and free trade agreements between the EU, Colombia, Peru and Central America. Briefing for MEPs. ALOP, APRODEV, CIFCA, Grupo Sur and Oidhaco with the support of Oxfam Solidarité. March 2012.
• EU Trade Agreements with Central America, Colombia and Peru: Roadblocks for sustainable development. Briefing for MEPs. ALOP, APRODEV, CIFCA, Grupo Sur and Oidhaco with the support of Oxfam Solidarité. October 2011.
• The European Union is the Big Cheese. Briefing on the trade agreements between the EU and Central America and Colombia/Peru and the dairy sector. ALOP, APRODEV and Grupo SUR. July 2010.

Civil society positions and letters

• The European Parliament prioritises trade interests over human rights and sustainable development. Press Release. ALOP, APRODEV, CIFCA, CNCD, FIAN, Friends of the Earth Europe, Grupo Sur, OIDHACO. December 2012
• The signing of a trade agreement on the anniversary of the coup d’état in Honduras marks the shift in EU priorities. Press release. ALOP, APRODEV, CIDSE, CIFCA, Grupo Sur and Oxfam International. June 2012.
• Letter to the members of the International Trade Committee of the European Parliament on a regulation for the bilateral safeguard clause and the stabilisation mechanism for bananas. ALOP, Banana Link, CIFCA, EUROBAN, Grupo Sur. April 2012.
• The Association Agreement could become an obstacle to development and human rights in Central America. Press release. ALOP, APRODEV, CID, CIDSE, CIFCA, Grupo Sur and Oxfam International. April 2010.
• Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Central America. Letter to the European Commission. ALOP, APRODEV, CID, CIDSE, CIFCA, Friends of the Earth, Grupo Sur and Oxfam International. June 2009.
• Suspension of 7th round of negotiations. Letter to the European Commisson (Spanish). APRODEV, CIFCA, Friends of the Earth, Grupo Sur and Oxfam International. April 2009.
• Negotiations for the European Union-Central America Association Agreement. Letter to the European Commission. ALOP, APRODEV, CID, CIDSE, CIFCA, Friends of the Earth, Grupo Sur and Oxfam International. January 2009.
• Trade preferences currently in place must be the starting point in the negotiation of an Association Agreement between the European Union and Central America. Press release. APRODEV, CIDSE, CIFCA, Grupo Sur and Oxfam International. February 2008.
• Reply letter from the EU Commissioner on Trade Peter Mandelson (Spanish). November 2007.
• Concerns at the start of negotiations on an Association Agreement between EU and Central America. Letter to the European Commission. ALOP, APRODEV, CIFCA, Friends of the Earth, Grupo Sur and Oxfam Internacional. October 2007.
• New FTA negotiating directives and the Global Europe policy. Open letter to the EU. Civil society organisations and networks. April 2007.
• Tegucigalpa Declaration; International Popular Forum Central America-European Union “Trade with justice and equity is possible” (Spanish). ASC, ALOP, Iniciativa CID, CAD, Grupo Sur, APRODEV, CIFCA, CAD, Oxfam Internacional, Vía Campesina Centroamérica, CHAAC, Bloque Popular and CODECOH. March 2007.
• Recommendations on the negotiation directives of the EU for negotiations of an Association Agreement with Central America. Letter to the EU. ALOP, APRODEV, CIFCA, Friends of the Earth Europe, Grupo Sur and 11.11.11. January 2007.
• A European Union - Central America association agreement oriented towards human development is possible. Position paper. ALOP, APRODEV, CIFCA and Grupo Sur. October 2006.
• For fair Agreements. Declaration by Central American and European civil society organisations. April 2006.

EU documents

• Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment EU-CA AA – ECORYS. 2009. Final report and Annexes.
• Draft EU negotiation mandate. 2007.
• For negotiation texts on all the pillars of the agreement, see bilaterals.org

Useful links

• Bilaterals.org for update on bilateral free trade agreements, including the EU-CA Association Agreement
• Observatorio CA-UE (in Spanish)
• European Commission (DG RELEX and DG Trade) for official information on the negotiations
• Government of Costa Rica (Spanish)