Prospects for African signatures on EPAs diminish

Some of the 35 African, Caribbean and Pacific states which originally initialled interim economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with the European Union may still withdraw from the process, joining the 44 states have that refused outright to sign them. The EU's June deadline for signatures has been deferred to September, but even this timing seems optimistic now according to many commentators. The EPAs include IP rights, which the EU wants to see tightened [Source: IPS News].