EPA talks resume

Negotiations for the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between some Southern African countries and European Union (EU) resume next month with South Africa’s push for more markets for agricultural products topping the agenda.

The meeting, which will be attended by technical officers from negotiating partners, comes two months since the last meeting in Johannesburg late last year. “South Africa wants more of her agricultural products to be granted access to the EU. This has been a topical issue since last year. It is yet to be resolved,” explained a source. One of the key products that SA wants into the lucrative EU market is her citrus. South Africa is ranked the largest producer of citrus behind Spain.

However, a source has told Botswana Guardian that EU, which is currently faced with economic troubles, has always maintained that there should be a limit on the amount of agricultural products that enter its market under the EPA. Currently, South Africa has a separate agreement with EU known as Trade Development and Cooperation Agreement (TDCA).

Reached for comment on progress regarding the EPA, Assistant minister of trade and industry confirmed that a meeting for officials and trade ministers was held last year, but was not willing to provide more information, save to say. “I think we have made good progress. It is only that some of these negotiations take a lot of time,” said Keletso Rakhudu on the sidelines of the budget speech delivery this week.

Head of EU Delegation to Botswana and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Gerard McGovern said last month that ‘there are critical technical issues’ that still need to be discussed before the EPA could be concluded. “My hope is for the EPA’s to be concluded as soon as practically possible,” he said.

There has been little progress towards finalisation of EPA ever since Botswana, Swaziland, Mozambique and Lesotho signed the EPA in 2009.

Some SADC countries such as South Africa and Namibia are still to sign. EPA will pave way for increased trade between Botswana and the EU, said former trade and industry minister Neo Moroka when signing the iEPA in Brussels. Botswana exports among others diamonds and beef to the EU.