Africa-Press – Mozambique. EAST African Community (EAC) partner states are currently engaging in internal consultations with a view to ensuring that they are involved in the EAC-EU Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA).
EPAs are trade and development agreements negotiated between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific partners engaged in regional economic integration processes.
The EAC Heads of State, during the 21st Extra-Ordinary Summit in February 2021, noted that not all Partner States are in a position to sign, ratify and implement the agreements.
“The Summit recognised the importance of some Partner States to move forward and concluded that Partner States who wish to do so should be able to commence engagements with the EU with a view to starting the EU-EAC-EPA implementation under the principle of variable geometry,” noted EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki.
Dr Mathuki was speaking while at the 6th European Union- African Union Summit held in Brussels, Belgium on February 17 to 18.
Dr Mathuki added that the EU-EAC EPA covers trade in goods, fisheries, agriculture, institutional provisions, dispute settlement as well as economic and development cooperation. The agreement contains a clause for future negotiations to be undertaken on Trade in Services and Trade Related Issues (competition policy, investment and private sector development, intellectual property rights, trade and sustainable development, and transparency in public procurement).
The EPA, when negotiated and implemented, is expected to contribute to addressing the production, supply and trading capacity of the EAC Partner States. It is also expected that the EPA will support EAC regional integration and development.
The deal is balanced and fully in line with the EAC Common External Tariff. It bans unjustified or discriminatory restrictions on imports and exports, which contributes to the EAC’s efforts to eradicate non-tariff barriers in intra-EAC trade. It supports the EAC’s regional integration agenda and has what it takes to foster development.
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
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