EU-SA Trade Relations

The European Commission adopted the communication 'Trade, growth and development' on 27 January 2012. This is an important policy document for the EU, which sets the guidelines of its trade policy towards developing countries. Although it does not directly focus on cases such as SA, several parts of the document are of special relevance, including information on the Economic Partnership Agreements and the EU Export Helpdesk. It also covers the broader policy line towards emerging economies, whereby the EU offers a partnership which includes regulatory co-operation and engagement on global issues, which are essential for development such as food security, sustainable use of natural resources, green growth and climate change.

For further information, visit; http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/press/index.cfm?id=773

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The Trade, Development and Co-operation Agreement (TDCA) has strengthened the trade relationships between the European Union and South Africa, consolidating SA as one of Europe's preferred trading partners through the establishment of a free trade area (Title II of the TDCA). For a useful summary of the text of the Agreement, visit:
http://europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/r12201.htm

The implementation of the TDCA between South Africa and the European Union is overseen by the Joint Co-operation Council, which also acts as a forum for overall dialogue between the two parties, including trade-related aspects. Co-operation Council meetings are held annually. The first SA-EU Ministerial meeting following full entry into force of the TDCA and the enlargement of the EU was held on 23 November 2004 in Brussels. The The sixth Co-operation Council meeting took place in Brussels on 7 November, 2005; the seventh Joint Co-operation Council was held in Brussels on 14 November 2006. The 8th Co-operation Council was held in Pretoria on 9th October 2007; the 9th was held in Cape Town on 3-4 November 2008. The tenth was held in Brussels in July 2009 - EU-SA Joint Co-operation Council (Brussels, July 2009)

[113kb]. The 2010 EU-SA Joint Co-operation Council was held on 15 September in Pretoria.

In addition to the TDCA, separate agreements on wines and spirits were signed on 28 January 2002. These agreements - which are applied provisionally - provide for the reciprocal protection of wine and spirits names, and cover issues such as oenological practices and processes, and product specifications

Following the request by the SADC-EPA group, the EU Council of Ministers, meeting in Brussels on 12 February 2007, accepted to include South Africa in the negotiations for the conclusion of an EU-SADC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/bilateral/countries/southafrica/pr140207_en.htm