Ten years after the entry into force of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Côte d’Ivoire, MEPs on the Committee on International Trade (INTA) took stock, on Wednesday 2 September, of the negotiations on a supplementary Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement (‘SIFA’). Launched by the European Commission last July, these negotiations are intended in particular to improve the transparency of the regulatory framework, simplify administrative procedures and encourage European private investment in the country.
The Commission highlighted Côte d’Ivoire’s economic weight as West Africa’s third-largest economy and a key EU trading partner in the region. European foreign direct investments there reached €3.8 billion in 2024, or around 40% of foreign direct investments in the country, according to the Commission. The future agreement is also intended to support Côte d’Ivoire’s 2026-2030 national development plan, which provides for €175 billion in investment, 70% of which is expected to come from the private sector.
Cocoa emerged as one of the main topics of discussion. The INTA Committee’s rapporteur for West Africa, Catarina Vieira (Greens/EFA, Dutch), called for strong commitments on sustainability, deforestation and responsible business conduct, as well as close involvement of civil society.
Javier Moreno Sánchez (S&D, Spanish), for his part, stressed local value creation and improved social conditions. However, Jörgen Warborn (EPP, Swedish) warned against disproportionate traceability and sustainability requirements which, he said, could divert some Ivorian exports towards other markets.
MEPs also questioned the Commission about the safeguards offered to small and medium-sized enterprises, child labour, monitoring of implementation and dispute settlement. Benoît Cassart (Renew Europe, Belgian) asked in particular which mechanisms would make it possible to ensure compliance with the commitments.
The Commission stated that the draft provides for a State-to-State dispute settlement mechanism, but no Investor-State Dispute Settlement. It also said it wanted to involve businesses, workers, environmental organisations and other civil society representatives in the implementation of the agreement.
Discussions with Abidjan are due to intensify in September on the basis of the draft texts submitted by the Commission, a senior official said. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)