ABSTRACT
This volume deals fundamentally with the linkages between trade and development. Hence, it addresses an inherently complex theme which, apart from being ideologically sensitive, its analysis would be incomplete if it was not multidisciplinary. The content and context of the various chapters of this volume underline the rationale for compiling it. The departure point is that, from a generic perspective, there is of course a large body of literature on trade and development. In practice, however, it is rare to find comprehensive work that attempts to capture the practical implications of the dynamic international trading system. Bearing in mind the dynamic and multi-track liberalisation process in which the multilateral trading system (MTS) and the ACP-EU trade relations play key roles, the chapters in this volume have addressed this lacuna, and used concrete examples to highlight the implications of the unfolding situation for the African ACP economies. Methodologically, the book has adopted a holistic approach, thus including both conceptual discourse and analyses of empirical observations. In so doing, it has also drawn on multidisciplinary and multi-country experiences. Overall, a number of hypotheses can be advanced concerning the development prospects associated with the interim EPAs and the eagerly awaited full EPAs.
