EC Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson is aiming to meet a global trade deadline of December 31

The ACP parliament is holding its tenth ordinary session in the Rwandan capital, Kigali.

The draft "Kigali Declaration" says that ACP nations need more time to look at the implications of Epas.

The European Union wants ACP countries to sign up to the Epas by December 31 in order to meet a World Trade organisation (WTO) deadline.

The WTO had ruled against the existing trade preferences which gives ACP countries special access to EU markets.

MEP's

The ACP parliamentarians now plan to meet with their European counterparts (MEPs) on the proposal.

"This is a very, very big political issue," an ACP source told BBC Caribbean, explaining that the ACP concerns were not about the content of the EPA deal.

"We have committed ourselves to the EPA...it's just the detail," one ACP surce told BBC Caribbean.

The European Commission is seeking implementation of the EPAs by December 31, 2007 in line with global trade negotiation timetables.

A number of ACP nations have said that this is too soon and have explained this to EC trade officials in a series of meeting over the last few months.

"The EU will not want to be embarrased gobally," the ACP source said, outling ACP hopes for a delay in reaching an EPA deal.

The ACP resolution is next due to go before a plenary of ACP and EU parliamentarians in Kigali.