EAC 

Monday, February 10, 2014 

East Africans to reconvene trade talks with Europeans in March

ARUSHA, Tanzania - Trade talks between the East African Community (EAC) and the European Union (EU) to liberalise trade between the two economic blocs have stalled.

Both Parties therefore agreed that another Ministerial Meeting, to be preceded by Technical and Senior Officials meetings, be held in March 2014 in the EAC region to work towards the conclusion of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiation process.

   According to a press release from the EAC Secretariat in Arusha, ministers from EAC Partner States and the European Commissioner for Trade met in Brussels on 30th January 2014 to conclude three days of negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

The ministerial meeting considered outstanding issues in the EAC-EU EPA negotiations as discussed by the EAC-EU technical and Senior Officials from 28th to 30th January 2014. Both Parties noted that further discussions on Rules of Origin and Agriculture need to be held at the Technical and Senior Officials level to iron out the outstanding issues.

Agreements were however reached on the outstanding issues on the Chapter on Institutional Arrangements, Dispute Settlement and Final Provisions with the exception of the article on the Relations with the Cotonou Agreement (non- execution clause).

Consensus was also not reached on Duties and Taxes on exports and on Article 16 (Most Favoured Nation).

Both Parties therefore agreed that another metting, to be preceded by Technical and Senior Officials meetings, be held in March 2014 in the EAC region to work towards the conclusion of the EPA negotiation process.

The EAC delegation was led by Phyllis Kandie, Chair of the EAC Council of Ministers, and the EU delegation was led by the Trade Commissioner Mr. Karel De Gucht. 

By John Sambo, Monday, February 10th, 2014