What is the EU EPA?
Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are trade and development agreements negotiated between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific ( ACP ) countries. They open up EU markets fully and immediately, whereas ACP partners open only partially to EU imports, over transitioning periods.
What is SADC EPA?
SADC EPA is an agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) EPA Group1 member states (Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa, all of which are members of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) as well as being members of SADC; and Mozambique).
What is the ESA region?
Eastern and Southern Africa includes the Indian Ocean islands (Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles), countries from the Horn of Africa (Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan) and some countries of Southern Africa (Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe).
What is EPA in trade?
The CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership agreement (EPA) is a permanent instrument of trade partnership between CARIFORUM and the EC. It replaces the trade component of Lomé IV and its successor Cotonou (2000).
Is SADC multilateral?
Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States are party to various regional and global Multilateral Environmental Agreements. These agreements require country-level commitments that can be fostered through a cooperative regional approach.
Is SADC coming to Eswatini?
Southern African countries have deployed envoys to Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, to try to stem the unrest that saw one person killed and at least 80 people wounded by security forces in the latest wave of pro-democracy protests.
Is the ESA part of the EU?
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation, whereas the EU is supranational. The two institutions have indeed different ranges of competences, different Member States and are governed by different rules and procedures.
Why does Cameroon have an EPA with the EU?
Cameroon is the only Central African country to have an EPA with the EU in place, with this having been under provisional application since July 2014. This unilateral decision to conclude an EPA was taken to ensure continued duty free-quota free access for Cameroonian banana exports to the EU.
Is there an economic partnership agreement between the EU and Africa?
The EU and the Central African regional organisations (CEMAC and ECCAS) are studying the possibility to reach a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement through the stepping-stone agreement already used by Cameroon. More information on the interim Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Cameroon ( Other languages)
How many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have an EPA?
In Sub-Saharan Africa, there are currently 14 countries implementing an EPA. Most other countries benefit from preferential unilateral schemes. The EU is a major trading partner for ACP countries, representing more than 21% of their trade with the world.
How can EPAS contribute to the African continental free trade area?
EPAs with Sub-Saharan African countries and other EU free trade agreements with Northern African countries contribute to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and to the long-term perspective of a continent-to-continent free trade agreement. EPAs already contain useful trade tools for building the AfCFTA.