EABC Issue Update: State of play of Economic Partnership Agreement Negotiations

Between December 8 and 11, 2009, East African Community (EAC) held a joint Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations with European Commission (EC). However, the two teams could not agree on development text and the negotiations were deffered to February 23rd and 24th in Brussels, Belgium.

The controversy under the development text stems from the realization that, after initialling the Framework EPA in November, 2008, some unresolved issues in the Most Favoured Nation clause and the development provisions under Framework Economic Partnership Agreement (FEPA) were weak and offered no commitments by European Commission (EC) and hence needed to be reinforced.

Attached is EABC Issue Update on State of play of Economic Partnership Agreement Negoatiations