EU Trade Dialogue: Deepening the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and Eastern and Southern Africa

Link

• Date: 23/03/2021, 11:00-13:00
• Location: WebEx
• Registration closes on : 18/03/2021 12:00

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Meeting details

• Date: 23/03/2021, 11:00-13:00
• Location: WebEx
• Registration closes on : 18/03/2021 12:00

The EU and five countries of Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA-5) – Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, the Seychelles and Zimbabwe – are currently negotiating the deepening of the existing EU-ESA Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

The negotiations aim at a comprehensive trade agreement, covering trade in goods, services, investment and other trade-related topics, as well as an ambitious chapter on trade and sustainable development. The negotiations were launched on 2 October 2019, and, so far, three negotiation rounds have been held (in January, July and December 2020).

Further information on the EU’s negotiations with the ESA-5 states

In line with the standard practice, DG Trade has commissioned an independent contractor, LSE Consulting, to undertake a Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA), which will feed into the negotiations. The purpose of the SIA is to provide for a deep assessment of the potential economic, social, human rights and environmental effects of the anticipated new and comprehensive EPA. It will be based on a broad consultation of stakeholders and include recommendations for measures.

In parallel, the same contractor – LSE Consulting, has also been commissioned to undertake the ex-post evaluation of the agreement.

The first civil society dialogue has been organized on 11 September 2020, in which the EU presented the state of play of the negotiations and the contractor the draft inception report for the SIA in support of the EU-ESA-5 negotiations. The report of that meeting can be found here.

The purpose of this meeting is to present to the EU Civil Society Organizations the state of play of the negotiations with ESA-5, to present the draft thematic reports of the Sustainability Impact Assessment on (1) trade in goods, (2) trade in services and investment and (3) trade and sustainable development, as well as draft ex-post evaluation of the existing interim EPA and to exchange views on these topics.

All draft reports will be published shortly on the following link. We will inform registered participants as soon as the reports are published.

Lead speakers

• Ewa Synowiec, Director, Directorate-General for Trade (DG Trade), Chief Negotiator for the negotiations to deepen the EU-ESA EPA
• Study Coordinator/Team Leader of the consortium led by LSE Consulting

Moderator

• Civil Society Coordination, DG Trade, European Commission

Agenda

1. Presentation of the state of play of the negotiations;
2. Presentation of the draft thematic reports of the Sustainability Impact Assessment on (1) trade in goods, (2) trade in services and investment and (3) trade and sustainable development; and draft ex-post evaluation of the existing interim EPA;
3. Open discussion with stakeholders.

The meeting will take place via WEBEX. Access code and password will be sent to registered participants. We would be grateful if participants could launch their WEBEX connection at least 30 minutes in advance of the meeting so that any technical problems can be arranged in time before the meeting.

Organisations that have registered to participate in this meeting. (provisional)