In depth

EU-West Africa Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA): negotiators meet in Dakar (Senegal)

Silvia Gaiani

25/09/2009 10:53 am

Talks about the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and the West African region took place in Dakar (Senegal) from 16 to 23 July 2009. Participants in the technical and senior officials' meeting followed up on the Ministerial meeting which took place in Brussels in June. On that occasion, it was agreed that a regional deal on trade in goods, development cooperation and other trade-related rules will be concluded by the end of October 2009. In Dakar, negotiators made good progress on a number of areas including the EPA Development Programme (PAPED) and rules of origin.

Negotiations continue on issues such as market access, regional levies and the Most Favoured Nation clause as well as development co-operation. Next round of technical negotiations is scheduled for 21 September 2009.

Background

The EU-West Africa bilateral trade is represented by import-export of goods worth €43.6 billion (both ways, 2008 data), however more than half of this is in EU-Nigeria trade (oil). Excluding Nigeria, the EU mainly exports industrial goods including mechanical machinery (14%), electrical machinery (9%) and vehicles (7%) to the region. Excluding oil from Nigeria (55% of West African exports) the region's main exports to the EU are represented by and cocoa (11%), iron (8%) and rubber (6%). Only two West African countries, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, initialled bilateral "stepping stone (or "interim") EPAs" with the EU at the end of 2007. The interim EPA with Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) was signed on 26 November 2008.

(source DG Trade EU Commission)

Link to: http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/bilateral/regions/acp/regneg_en.htm