EU and East African Community (EAC) hold EPA technical talks
Brussels, 24 September 2008
The technical negotiating teams from the EU and EAC met on 15-17 September in Bujumbura (Burundi) to make progress in the European Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations, in accordance with the Joint EAC-EC Roadmap agreed on 6 March 2008.
The meeting was held in a very good and cooperative atmosphere and net progress was recorded to all discussed issues. Technical discussions were divided among two clusters: Cluster I on Market Access - including customs and trade facilitation; sanitary and phytosanitary measures; technical barriers to trade; standstill, MFN, duties and taxes on exports, anti-dumping and countervailing measures and safeguards for infant industry, and Cluster II on Economic and Development Co-operation.
They also addressed trade and sustainable development, and the European Commission made a presentation on its approach on trade in services.
Next round at technical and senior officials' level is scheduled for the week of 10-14 November 2008 in Brussels. On that occasion, negotiators will discuss outstanding market access issues, economic and development co-operation, trade and sustainable development, trade in services and agriculture. Furthermore, it was agreed that EC make presentations on Intellectual Property Rights, Transparency in Government Procurement and Competition Policy.
The technical negotiating teams from the EU and EAC met on 15-17 September in Bujumbura (Burundi) to make progress in the European Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations, in accordance with the Joint EAC-EC Roadmap agreed on 6 March 2008.
The meeting was held in a very good and cooperative atmosphere and net progress was recorded to all discussed issues. Technical discussions were divided among two clusters: Cluster I on Market Access - including customs and trade facilitation; sanitary and phytosanitary measures; technical barriers to trade; standstill, MFN, duties and taxes on exports, anti-dumping and countervailing measures and safeguards for infant industry, and Cluster II on Economic and Development Co-operation.
They also addressed trade and sustainable development, and the European Commission made a presentation on its approach on trade in services.
Next round at technical and senior officials' level is scheduled for the week of 10-14 November 2008 in Brussels. On that occasion, negotiators will discuss outstanding market access issues, economic and development co-operation, trade and sustainable development, trade in services and agriculture. Furthermore, it was agreed that EC make presentations on Intellectual Property Rights, Transparency in Government Procurement and Competition Policy.