Brussels, 29/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - The MEPs of the committee on international trade of the European Parliament have recommended that the plenary assembly give its approval to the economic partnership agreement (EPA) between the EU and Cameroon, a country of Central Africa which is a member of the group of ACP states (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific).
It was by a large majority (14 votes to three, with two abstentions) that they made this recommendation in Brussels on Tuesday 28 May, in their adoption of the report by David Martin (S&D, UK). The parliamentary committee's approval paves the way for this interim EPA to be ratified by the European Union.
The interim agreement, which was negotiated under the Cotonou agreement, is an asymmetrical trade liberalisation agreement, by virtue of which Cameroon will progressively liberalise 80% of its market by 2023 (with a number of safeguard clauses), whilst having enjoyed free access to the European market since 2008 under the market access regulation (Regulation 1528/2007). As the initial deadline for the conclusion of the EPA was laid down by the WTO for the end of 2007 and given the delay in these tough negotiations between partners with unequal levels of development, this free access has since then been granted to 36 ACP countries which were not ready to apply and to ratify the EPAs negotiated with the EU.
The interim agreement with Cameroon was signed on 15 January 2009, pending the conclusion of a full EPA between the EU and the region of Central Africa.
The agreement of the European Parliament is required by the Treaty of Lisbon for all trade agreements concluded by the EU. In order to enter into force, the interim EPA with Cameroon must also be ratified by that country.
Cameroon is one of eight ACP countries which are threatened with a shift over to the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), which would offer them reduced access to the European market, if they do not ratify an EPA by 1 January 2014, as the European Commission intends, or by 1 October 2014 as the Parliament called for in April (see EUROPE 10829). The seven other countries are Botswana and Namibia, plus Fiji, Ghana, Côte d,Ivoire, Kenya and Swaziland. (AN/transl.fl)