Comment on the progress of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations in the SADC region
Trudi Hartzenberg, tralac's Executive Director, and Gerhard Erasmus, a tralac associate
"The SADC EPA Trade Ministers and the EU Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson met in Gaborone, Botswana yesterday 4 March 2008 to consider progress of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations. Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland initialled the Interim EPA and agreed to a second phase of the negotiations which will focus on services and investment, toward the conclusion of a full EPA by the end of 2008. Namibia initialled the Interim EPA but tabled several concerns, and elected not to participate in phase two of the negotiations. South Africa did not initial the interim agreement.
1. The countries that have initialled the Interim EPA have to start the process of implementation of the Trade in Goods aspects of the EPA. This member states should work with a view to applying this agreement from 1 July 2008 at the latest.
This process requires careful preparation and coordinated action between the SADC states that have initialled this agreement.
2. Those countries that will negotiate services and investment need urgently to prepare for these negotiations, both in terms of substance as well as negotiating structures.
This leads to the following questions:
1. How will these countries identify the services sector to be liberalised; are they going to liberalise the same sector or will each country liberalise a different sector?
2. What plans are in place to meet the deadline of 31 December 2008?
3. How will these countries coordinate this negotiating process, in terms of substance, process and regional coordination?
4. The Investment Chapter also has to be negotiated before the end of this year. How will the specific investment concerns of the SADC states be identified, and be related to the SADC Finance and Investment Protocol, and in particular how will the 'technical assistance' promised by the EC for these negotiations and the implementation of this chapter be provided?"
"The SADC EPA Trade Ministers and the EU Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson met in Gaborone, Botswana yesterday 4 March 2008 to consider progress of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations. Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Swaziland initialled the Interim EPA and agreed to a second phase of the negotiations which will focus on services and investment, toward the conclusion of a full EPA by the end of 2008. Namibia initialled the Interim EPA but tabled several concerns, and elected not to participate in phase two of the negotiations. South Africa did not initial the interim agreement.
1. The countries that have initialled the Interim EPA have to start the process of implementation of the Trade in Goods aspects of the EPA. This member states should work with a view to applying this agreement from 1 July 2008 at the latest.
This process requires careful preparation and coordinated action between the SADC states that have initialled this agreement.
2. Those countries that will negotiate services and investment need urgently to prepare for these negotiations, both in terms of substance as well as negotiating structures.
This leads to the following questions:
1. How will these countries identify the services sector to be liberalised; are they going to liberalise the same sector or will each country liberalise a different sector?
2. What plans are in place to meet the deadline of 31 December 2008?
3. How will these countries coordinate this negotiating process, in terms of substance, process and regional coordination?
4. The Investment Chapter also has to be negotiated before the end of this year. How will the specific investment concerns of the SADC states be identified, and be related to the SADC Finance and Investment Protocol, and in particular how will the 'technical assistance' promised by the EC for these negotiations and the implementation of this chapter be provided?"
