The European Union signed an interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. The interim agreement secures EU market access for these countries while negotiations for a full EPA with the seven country Southern African Development Community (SADC) EPA group are ongoing. Three other countries in the region, South Africa, Namibia and Angola, at the moment, opted not to sign.

Declarations attached to the interim EPA set out how the EU and the SADC EPA group will address outstanding controversial issues in the negotiations for a full EPA.

Angola as a Least Developed Country (LDC) maintains its duty-free quota-free access to the EU market under the 'Everything But Arms' (EBA) initiative. South Africa-EU trade is governed by the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement (TDCA) signed in 1999 which allows preferential tariff rates for more than 90% of South Africa's exports to the EU.

By signing this interim agreement, the signatories will work towards a "full" EPA, which will address all outstanding issues in terms of trade in goods, and also include chapters on services and trade-related aspects such as investment, government procurement and competition.

 SADC EPA technical officials met on several occasions in September 2009 to continue with the technical work on market access, the unresolved negotiating issues (previously called ANSA concerns) and services and investment.

Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) Trade and Finance Ministers agreed to redouble their collective efforts to resolve the outstanding issues in the SADC-EC Interim EPA and Final Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations at a special Council meeting on 17 September in Ezulwini, Swaziland. Ministers directed the SACU Commission to develop a common SACU vision, strategy, and work-plan with timelines in respect to priority areas including strengthening capacity in the secretariat and developing the necessary policies and procedures to conclude the establishment of institutions.