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Erwin set for EU talks
TRADE TALKS
TRADE and Industry Minister Alec Erwin and his European Union (EU) counterpart Joćo de Deus Pinheiro are due to meet next Saturday after negotiators failed once again to reach agreement this week. Talks resumed on Wednesday after breaking down three weeks ago following the EU's tabling of an improved preliminary agricultural offer to SA. In return SA agreed to parallel negotiations on wines and spirits. Bahle Sibisi, chief director in the Department of Trade and Industry, says SA was not impressed with the EU's agricultural offer. "We still need a substantial movement at that level." Neither was there progress on the issue of the naming of products, in particular sherry and port, although the matter has been brought to the table. Boidin says there has been an interesting move on either side on the two key issues (wines and spirits and agriculture), but negotiators are not yet there. The rest it seems has been left to Erwin and Pinheiro, the EU commissioner for relations with Africa, Caribbean and Pacific countries.
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