John Oyuke
24 August 2007
Nairobi — Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) countries are ready to sign a partial Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) by the end of this year.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) Secretary General, Mr Erastus Mwencha, said the action is necessary to avoid disruption of ESA-EU trade.
He said in view of the deadline for the conclusion of the negotiations, it is clear these countries would not be able to conclude discussions by December 31. "On the basis of the progress on the ground, and to meet World Trade Organisation compatibility and ensure there is no trade disruption, ESA countries will be ready to sign an EPA," he said. He identified some areas of key interest to ESA countries and which they would be ready to sign as trade in goods, agriculture, fisheries and dispute settlement.
Mwencha was briefing the media on the progress achieved by Comesa on the implementation of various programmes. Kenya and 15 other nations in eastern and southern Africa are negotiating new a trade deal with the EU as a bloc to protect their fledgling agricultural sectors and industries.
The accord must be in place by the end of the year, when a World Trade Organisation exemption on preferential EU market access for African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries expires. Formal negotiations for EPAs at the level of all ACP countries started in September 2002. Civil society groups in Africa have called for the suspension of the EPAs negotiations between the EU and the 77 ACP countries for at least three years to allow African governments to critically look at other regional initiatives they are already engaged in.
Mwencha said to ensure the partial signing of the EPA is done by December 31, two negotiation sessions are planned in September and October in Kigali and Djibouti respectively.
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