FOR people fortunate enough to live in the rich industrialised world, science and technology have lifted standards of living and quality of life to unprecedented levels. For those in the world’s poorest countries, especially in Africa, that hasn’t yet happened – and if the European Union sticks to the position it adopted in negotiations this week in Lisbon, Portugal, it never will.
World trade treaties require that by 31 December the EU must renegotiate trade deals that give favourable treatment to 78 former colonies, many in Africa. Europe is offering deals that allow them to sell products in Europe. The snag…
