EAC, EU to sign EPA trade agreements in November

AN agreement on the ongoing trade negotiations between the East African Community (EAC) and the European Union (EU) blocs is set to be signed in November. In a communiqué signed on Wednesday by the Co-chair representing the EU Commissioner of Trade, Karel De Gucht and the Co-chair representing Tanzania’s Industry, Trade and Marketing,Dr Mary Nagu in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the two blocs also agreed to immediately work on a roadmap for the conclusion of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EAPA). “Both parties agreed to accelerate negotiations for the comprehensive EPA, building on the work already undertaken, with a view to reaching an agreement by the end of November 2010, prior to the AU/EU summit,” the communiqué reads in part. Both blocs initiated a Framework Economic Partnership Agreement (FEPA) in 2007 in Kampala, Uganda and they undertook to continue the negotiations of the (FEPA) with a view to concluding a comprehensive EPA. The regional blocs noted that while there is some progress registered, there remain areas where there is need for further discussion in order to reach consensus. “There are a number of articles where there is consensus on the wording but divergence on whether they should be incorporated in the FEPA or the comprehensive EPA,” the communiqué adds. The Ministers responsible for trade in the partner states and EU officials also met on Wednesday in Dar es Salaam as part of the third negotiations session to consider outstanding issues in the Framework Agreement. Dr Nagu told participants that the Framework Agreement comprises Market Access on Trade in Goods, Development Cooperation and Fisheries. In the initialled FEPA, the EAC offered to liberalize 82.6% of her trade with the EU, and retained an exclusion list accounting to 17.4% of the trade with the EU. On its part the EU has offered Quota Free Duty Free Market Access with exception of ammunition and transitional arrangement for sugar and rice. However, the stringent Rules of Origin continue to be the main challenge in accessing the EU market. Ends