EU, SADC teams miss EPA deadline

Following the expiry of the Cotonou Agreement, the seven SADC states, Botswana among them, began lengthy negotiations for a new trade agreement, but the process eventually failed to meet the original December 2007 deadline enforceable by the World Trade Organisation.

In June, ministers from the SADC EPA group met in Gaborone and approved timelines for the finalisation and signing of a comprehensive EPA with the EU. The group also committed itself to meeting several milestones, working with the EU to iron out the various outstanding issues and concerns.