Brussels, 30 May 2024
The Council today adopted a decision on the conclusion of the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). This will boost trade in goods and create new economic opportunities, with targeted cooperation to enhance Kenya’s economic development.
This agreement will strengthen our cooperation with Kenya, the economic hub of East Africa. Workers, businesses and traders on both sides will benefit from this shared commitment to sustainable development, including labour rights, the environment and climate action.
Belgian minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade
The agreement will provide duty-free, quota-free EU market access to all exports from Kenya (except arms) as soon as it enters into force, as well as partial and gradual opening of the Kenyan market to imports from the EU.
The agreement includes binding provisions on trade and sustainable development, such as climate and environmental protection and labour rights, and a transparent dispute resolution mechanism. This is the most ambitious economic partnership agreement the EU will have with a developing country when it comes to sustainability provisions.
The EU is Kenya’s first export destination and second largest trading partner, totalling €3.3 billion of trade in 2022 – an increase of 27% compared to 2018.
Next steps
The agreement will enter into force on the first day of the second month following the date on which the parties have notified each other of the completion of their respective internal procedures.
Background
Negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreement between the East African Community and the EU (EAC-EU EPA) were concluded in 2014. Kenya signed and ratified the Agreement in September 2016. The EU and its Member States also signed it in June 2016. However, implementation of the EPA has not been possible because not all EAC partner countries signed and ratified it.
The EAC Summit of 27 February 2021, under the chairmanship of Kenya, reached a decision allowing individual EAC states to implement the EPA. Subsequently, in May 2021, Kenya formally requested to engage with the EU to move forward with the implementation of the Agreement on a bilateral basis. Discussions on the bilateral implementation with sustainability provisions were politically concluded on 19 June 2023.
On 28 September 2023, the Commission submitted its proposals for Council Decisions on the signing and the conclusion of the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement, together with the text of the Agreement.
The Council adopted a decision on the signing of the EPA on 12 December 2023.
The EU and Kenya signed the agreement in Nairobi, Kenya, on 18 December 2023.
The European Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the agreement on 29 February 2024 and Kenya ratified the EPA on 24 April 2024.
- Council decision on the signing of the EPA
- Council decision on the conclusion of the EPA
- EU-Kenya EPA
- EU-Kenya EPA (addendum 1)
- EU-Kenya EPA (addendum 2)
- Council and Commission joint statement
- EU and Kenya conclude negotiations for an ambitious Economic Partnership Agreement with strong sustainability provisions (European Commission)
- EU-Kenya: Council adopts decision on the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement (press release, 12 December 2023)
- The EU and Kenya sign a landmark Economic Partnership Agreement (press release, 19 December 2023)
- EU trade policy (background information)