EU accused of undermining UN development goals through free trade

A group of NGOs, trade unions and civil society groups have accused the EU of undermining global poverty reduction goals through its pursuit of free trade deals with African states.

Gathered outside the European Commission building in Brussels on Wednesday, the demonstrators said that UN goals to eradicate poverty by 2015 were being threatened by the EU's programme of economic partnership agreements (EPAs) and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) with their governments.

The UN g...