Brussels, 20/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament's international trade committee chaired by Vital Moreira (S&D, Portugal) recommends that the Parliament give its consent to the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (IEPA) between the EU and four countries of the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) region. The committee voted along these lines in Brussels on Tuesday 18 December when a large majority (20 votes in favour, 5 against and 12 abstentions) adopted the report by Daniel Caspary (EPP, Germany).
The IEPA - the first ever sealed with a region of Africa - had already taken effect on 14 May when four countries - Madagascar, Mauritius, the Seychelles and Zimbabwe - had completed internal ratification procedure. Once ratified by all parties, the agreement will officially enter into force.
Negotiated under the Cotonou Agreement linking the EU and the ACP States (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific), the agreement for the gradual liberalisation of trade according to an asymmetrical timetable provides duty-free access and EU market quotas for exports from the four countries. Those countries will gradually open up their markets to European exports over 15 years with exceptions being made for certain products considered as “sensitive” products. The agreement comprises provisions concerning rules of origin, development cooperation, fisheries, trade defence instruments and dispute settlement.
At the end of 2007, the buffer date fixed by the WTO for concluding an EPA compatible with the rules of the WTO (in time and place for unilateral trade preferences), six ESA countries (the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe) had concluded an IEPA with the EU. Since then, Madagascar, Mauritius, the Seychelles and Zimbabwe went on to the following stage by signing the agreement in Mauritius, in August 2009. Once ratified by all parties, including all EU member states, the agreement will officially enter into force. This coming January, the Parliament is expected to vote on whether, or not, to give its assent. Negotiations with a view to concluding a complete EPA resumed early in 2008 with all ESA countries, including those that have not joined the IEPA (the Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Malawi, Sudan and Zambia).
In 2011, total EU imports from the ESA countries (processed tuna, coffee, cane sugar, textiles, tobacco, cut flowers and metal, in particular) amounted to some €2 billion. The same year, EU exports to the four ESA countries (mainly machines, vehicles, pharmaceutical products and chemical products) amounted to €1.7 billion.
To date, the only complete EPA between the EU and a whole ACP region (covering the trade in goods, services, investment and trade-related areas, and also competition and trade facilitation) is the EPA in force between the EU and the 16 Cariforum countries applied provisionally since 29 December 2008. An EPA with Papua-New Guinea has also been applied provisionally since 20 December 2009. (AN/transl.jl)