Regional Meeting on Economic Partnership Agreements
By Andrew Allimadi, Communication Officer, ECA
29 September 2005

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) organized an Africa-wide meeting of trade experts from 22 – 24 September 2005 in Mombasa, Kenya to discuss the on-going Economic Partnership Agreement (EPAs) negotiations taking place with the European Union (EU). The meeting was jointly organized with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), The Kenyan Ministry of Trade and Industry, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

The Assistant Minister for Trade and Industry of the Republic of Kenya officially opened the meeting. The Minister emphasized the potential gains from international trade, such as technology transfer; and some challenges such increasing inter-African trade.

SOME KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Pre-eminence to the development dimensions of EPAs. All negotiators should give prominence to the developmental dimensions of EPAs. Emphasis on building supply-capacities in Africa should supersede trade liberalization.

2. Enhance intra-African trade. Optimal sequencing of the EPAs will help enhance intra-African trade. Intra-African trade barriers should therefore be dismantled first before substantial market opening to the EU. This is consistent with a broad interpretation of the current GATT rules (Article XXIV).

3. Less restrictive rules of origin Africa should take advantage of the EPAs negotiations to argue for less restrictive SSA-wide compatible rules-of-origin. The simple 10 percent value-added suggested by the Commission for Africa would be an appropriate starting point.

4. Coordinate sub-regional negotiations The four African sub-regions negotiating with the EU should coordinate their efforts, because the varying speeds have potential of setting precedents in some regions that may not be universally accepted across the continent. It is necessary for the different regional negotiating forums to compare negotiating strategies to ensure coherence with the Ministers’ of Trade Declaration on the EPAs.

The final report (both in French and English) is being compiled by ECA and will be available on the ECA website soon.

PARTICIPATION

The following countries were represented in the meeting: Angola, Belgium, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote D''''ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinee, Guinee Equatorial, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, The Netherlands, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sao-Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, The Sudan, Swaziland, Sweden, United Republic of Tanzania, Tchad, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The following Regional economic communities attended: Southern African Development Community (SADC), Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), Communaute Economique des Etats de l''''Afrique Centrale (CEEAC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

Also present were the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Secretariat, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) the World Bank, Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, APOA-Association du Patronat Ouest Africain, NEPAD Business Group, Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), Botswana Institute for Development Policy, SEATINI, ECDPM, AITIC, DFID, Economic and Justice Network, African Cabacity Building Forum (ACBF), South Centre, South Africa – Angola Chamber of Commerce, KEPLOTRADE, Pan Africa Women Organisation (PAWO) and GTZ.