EPA talks to continue in Gaborone

MBONGENI MGUNI
Staff Writer | Wednesday June 16, 2010 00:00

The meeting, which will run from Thursday to Friday, stems from a decision made at the SACU Heads of State meeting in Namibia on April 22. The Gaborone meeting will, among other things, discuss the response of the European Union Trade Commissioner, Karel de Gucht, to issues raised by the regional bloc in a letter written in February. The crux of the correspondence relates to SACU and the SADC EPA's desire to finalise outstanding issues in the EPA negotiations instead of EU's focus on securing implementation of last year's interim EPA from the four countries that signed it.  Botswana, along with Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland, signed the iEPA last June while South Africa, Namibia and Angola declined to sign, citing various concerns to the EU's proposals.

It is understood SACU Trade Ministers influenced the SADC EPA group - five of whom are from SACU - to inform the EU of the region's position that EPA negotiations should focus on the outstanding issues that have seen three out of seven states decline to sign the interim EPA. The SADC EPA letter to de Gucht last February was essentially to request more time in the negotiations to allow for the resolution of outstanding issues in the interests of maintaining regional cohesion within SADC.  Yesterday, Botswana's Chief Negotiator, James Masisi, revealed that the EU Trade Commissioner responded in May, essentially rejecting SADC EPA's overtures.

'In the letter, they had asked to have a new approach, which meant 'let's work on outstanding things before we implement the iEPA,'' Masisi said. 'He responded to say in international law, signed agreements must be implemented. However, with what we have discussed in Brussels recently, we feel the EU understands our concerns better.'  In Brussels, Masisi said, the SADC EPA group pursued its proposals for more elbow room to resolve outstanding issues rather than pursue implementation of the iEPA. The Chief Negotiator said the generally receptive atmosphere in which the Brussels meeting was held would influence this Friday's meeting.

'About the Brussels meeting, we believe the Chief Negotiator there, Joao Machado, was very receptive and we were able to explain what we need in asking for more time and asking that we resolve the outstanding issues,' he continued. 'We explained how this would give us a second breath and the administrative role South Africa plays in SACU. The atmosphere allowed for us to explain to the EU, what our position is.'

Thus Friday's meeting in Gaborone will allow the SADC EPA group to hammer out its proposed solutions to the concerns holding some members back from signing the iEPA or fully participating in the comprehensive EPA. These proposed solutions could then be tabled when next the group meets the EU, around August or September. Concerns include the alignment of tariffs in the iEPA to the tariffs enjoyed by South Africa under the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement (TDCA). Others include the rules of origin debate, which Masisi revealed was being handled by technical working groups from the EU and SADC EPA.

'The meeting in Gaborone will comprise the technical working groups, then senior officials and finally the Trade Ministers,' said Masisi. 'Usually, the SACU group caucuses before going into the bigger group meetings, and such a caucus could be held this week as well.'