BDI-EABC JOINT DECLARATION ON EAC-EU ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT (EPA) The Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the African, Caribbean, Pacific States and the European Union (EU) follow the unilateral trade preferences granted to the ACP-states. Unlike bilateral treaties offering preferential market access to African experts, the EPAs will be compliant to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and will offer regions like the East African Community (EAC) long term import tax and quotas free access to the European market. The EPAs are more than mere free trade agreements – they are designed as development oriented free trade areas building on regional integration. The EPAs have been negotiated between the EU and the different regions of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP) from 2002 to 2014. The treaties aim to provide the ACP states with a long-term tariff free access to the European market. Unlike alternative agreements, they are compliant to the international regulations of the WTO. Implementing the EPAs will lead to planning security for African exporters and will increase investments. Although their implementation will come with two risks for the East African Community – of international competition of formerly protected industries and of revenue loss for governments due to the omission of import taxes – the East African Business Council (EABC) together with the Federation of German Industries (BDI) suggest that: ▪
Careful measures are being taken to reduce the risks and to benefit from the increase of long term opportunities for African producers.
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The EPAs are signed and implemented by the countries of the EAC as soon as possible.
STATE OF PLAY ON EAC-EU EPA The EAC and the EU concluded its negotiations on the EPA after 12 years of protracted negotiation between EAC Partner States and the EU, the EPA was initialled in October 2014. The EPA is expected to govern trade relations between the EAC Partner States (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda) and 27 EU Member states which are parties to the Agreement. Due to disagreements among the EAC Partner States, the Agreement could not be signed by all EAC Partner States as a bloc. On 1st September 2016, Kenya and Rwanda signed while other EAC Partner States raised concerned that EPA could lead to revenue loss and deindustrialization. The backtracking on the EPAs has created uncertainty on long trade relations between EAC Partner States and EU Member States.
BDI-EABC JOINT DECLARTION EAC-EU-EPA
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