Besluit 2016/1623 - Ondertekening en voorlopige toepassing van de economische partnerschapsovereenkomst met de SADC-EPO-staten - Hoofdinhoud

Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Southern African Development Community countries

SUMMARY OF:

Decision (EU) 2016/1623 on the signing and provisional application of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and EU countries, of the one part, and the SADC EPA states, of the other part

Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and EU countries, of the one part, and the SADC EPA states, of the other part

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DECISION AND OF THE AGREEMENT?

They aim to encourage development by establishing free trade relations between the European Union (EU) and the 6 countries concerned.

KEY POINTS

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) consists of:

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  Botswana;
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  Lesotho;
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  Mozambique;
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  Namibia;
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  South Africa and
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  Swaziland.

Pro-development orientation

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  The agreement is an ‘asymmetrical’ agreement. The EU guarantees Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Swaziland duty-free* and quota-free* access to the EU market. It also grants South Africa enhanced market access beyond the previous agreement.
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  The agreement does not require the SADC countries to match the market access granted to them by the EU. SADC may maintain tariffs on certain products to protect them from international competition.
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  Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) countries can increase import duties if imports from the EU increase so much or so quickly that they threaten to disrupt domestic production.
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  The EU cannot use agricultural export subsidies.
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  The agreement promotes economic diversification by reducing import duties on ‘intermediate’ products, such as seeds, fertilisers and machinery, with the aim of making such products more accessible to African entrepreneurs.

Geographical indications

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  EU producers of traditional products with a worldwide reputation, e.g. wines and food products, have the exclusive right to use their traditional names in South Africa.
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  Several South African ‘geographical indications’ are protected on the EU market, such as different types of wine and rooibos tea.

Sustainable development

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  All parties are required to uphold social and environmental standards.
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  The agreement establishes a consultation procedure for environmental or labour issues and defines a comprehensive list of areas for cooperation between the partners to foster sustainable development.

FROM WHEN DO THE DECISION AND THE AGREEMENT APPLY?

Pending the entry into force of the Agreement between the EU and all the SADC, the Agreement applies provisionally as from 10th October 2016 between the European Union and the Republic of Botswana, the Kingdom of Lesotho, the Republic of Namibia, the Republic of South Africa and the Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) as indicated in the notice (see related documents below) and as from 4 February 2018 between the European Union and Mozambique (see relevant notices under 'related documents' below).

The provisional application excludes Article12(4), dealing with the support of the EU countries to development cooperation in the SADC EPA which was already applicable.

Decision (EU) 2016/1623 has applied since 1 June 2016.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

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  Southern African Development Community (SADC) on the European Commission's website.
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  Press release on the European Commission’s website.

KEY TERMS

Duty-free: imports are exempt from the payment of duty.

Quota-free: no limit on the quantities of goods imported or exported.

MAIN DOCUMENTS

Council Decision (EU) 2016/1623 of 1 June 2016 on the signing, on behalf of the European Union and provisional application of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the SADC EPA States, of the other part (OJ L 250, 16.9.2016, pp. 1-2)

Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the SADC EPA States, of the other part (OJ L 250, 16.9.2016, pp. 3-2120)

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Notice concerning the provisional application of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the SADC EPA States, of the other part (OJ L 38, 10.2.2018, p. 1)

Notice concerning the provisional application of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the SADC EPA States, of the other part (OJ L 274, 11.10.2016, p. 1)

last update 20.02.2017

Deze samenvatting is overgenomen van EUR-Lex.