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What are Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and where do
they come from?
Interim Economic Partnership Agreements: Questions and Answers (April
2008)
Communication from the Commission to the European parliament and the
Council - Economic Partnership Agreements (October 2007)
With the objective of strengthening its relationship
with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) groups of States, the EU
signed the Cotonou Agreement in June 2000. This comprehensive
Partnership Agreement builds on three inter-linked pillars: political
dimension, economic and trade co-operation and development finance
co-operation.
http://ec.europa.eu/development/Geographical/Cotonou/Cotonou2000_en.cfm
The Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are defined by the Cotonou
Agreement as the major instrument of economic and trade co-operation
between the EU and the ACPs. Therefore, despite their independent legal
status, EPAs are an integral part of the Cotonou approach. Their
objectives and principles are defined in detail in the Agreement.
EPAs are designed to foster the smooth and gradual integration of the
ACP countries into the world economy, thereby promoting their
sustainable development and contributing to poverty eradication in the
ACP countries. Thus, EPAs are, above all, an instrument for development.
The EU is currently engaged in negotiations with six ACP regions (West
Africa; Central Africa; Eastern and Southern Africa; Southern Africa
Development Community; Pacific and Caribbean). South Africa, which was
initially granted an observer status in the SADC-EPA group, has fully
joined the EU-SADC negotiations in March 2007.
On 17 June 2002, EU foreign
ministers unanimously adopted the mandate for the European Commission to
negotiate EPAs with the ACP. The strategy underpinning the mandate is set
out in the explanatory memorandum:
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_112023.pdf
On the ACP side, guidelines
for the negotiations were agreed by ACP Trade and Finance Ministers on 21
June, and confirmed by the ACP Council on 27 June, 2002:
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_130235.pdf
Economic Partnership Agreements: An Instrument for
Development?
EPAs are based on four pillars:
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Partnership: EPAs are partnership agreements,
entailing rights and obligations for both sides. Compliance with the
obligations by each side is essential for the achievement of the
entire undertaking. In particular, while the Union will be prepared
to further open up its market to ACP products and tackle all other
trade barriers, the ACP States must be prepared to implement
appropriate policies to strengthen their supply capacity and to
reduce transaction costs.
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Regional integration: Regional integration is a
powerful means of fostering integration into the world economy. The
EU itself has built its strength on regional integration. The recent
progress made in regional integration within the ACP reflects the
political decision of the ACP States to base their own integration
into the world economy on regional economic integration. EPAs will
therefore be based on regional integration initiatives existing in
the ACP.
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Development : EPAs are above all instruments for
development. They will therefore be designed taking into account the
economic, social and environmental constraints of the ACP countries
concerned and of their capacity to adapt to the new trading
environment.
-
Link to WTO: Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)
are not an end in themselves but are intended to act as a stepping
stone to the gradual integration of the ACP countries into the world
economy. They will therefore build upon the rules of the WTO, taking
into account the results of the Doha Development Agenda.
EPAs are scheduled to enter into force by 1 January 2008 at the latest.
The non-reciprocal Lomé IV trade preferences will continue to be applied
during the interim period (2000-2007).
On 17 June 2002, EU foreign ministers unanimously adopted the mandate
for the European Commission to negotiate EPAs with the ACP. The strategy
underpinning the mandate is set out in the explanatory memorandum.
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_112023.pdf 
On the ACP side, guidelines for the negotiations were agreed by ACP
Trade and Finance Ministers on 21 June and confirmed by the ACP Council
on 27 June 2002.
http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_130235.pdf 
Sustainability Impact Assessment
In order to provide a qualified assessment of the
EPAs, the Commission launched a Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA)
in parallel with the negotiations. SIA is a process undertaken before
and during trade negotiations, which seeks to identify economic, social
and environmental impacts of a trade agreement. Its purpose is to
integrate sustainability into trade policy by informing negotiators of
the possible social, environmental and economic consequences of trade
agreements.
For more information, see the SIA-EPAs website
http://www.sia-acp.org/acp/uk/index.php
EPAs and the Countries of Southern Africa
EPA negotiations with seven members of the Southern
African Development Community (Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland,
Mozambique, Angola and Tanzania), known as the SADC group, were
successfully launched in Windhoek, Namibia, on 8 July, 2004. South
Africa, which initially had an observer status, has been fully included
in the EU- SADC EPA negotiations in February 2007.
For further details regarding the EPA negotiations in
the other ACP regions, visit:
SADC workshop on Services and Investment in EPA negotiations
(February 2008)
Trade: Economic Partnership Agreements - Addressing the misconceptions
(January 2008)
Trade: Commission and Caribbean countries decide on full Economic
Partnership Agreement (December 2007)
Trade: Important step in EPA negotiations - EU cements market access for
ACP countries (December 2007)
Trade: East African Community and EU reach interim Economic Partnership
Agreement (November 2007)
Economic partnership agreements take centre stage at ACP-EU assembly in
Kigali (November 2007)
"No alternative to EU/ACP economic partnership agreements", Trade
Commissioner Peter Mandelson tells MEPs (November 2007)
http://ec.europa.eu/comm/trade/issues/bilateral/regions/acp/regneg_en.htm
EU offers full market access to Africa, Caribbean and Pacific regions in
EPAs negotiations (April 2007)
EU and ACP Ministers meet in Bonn for informal dialogue on EPA
Agreements (March 2007)
EU and ACP countries meet to push forward EPAs (March 2007)
The EU welcomes South Africa in the SADC EPA negotiations (February
2007)
Economic Partnership Agreements: FAQs (September 2006)
Speech by EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson in Pretoria in favour of
Economic Partnership Agreements and regional economic integration
(February 2006)
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