The European Business Council for Africa

CSD on the Sustainable Impact Assessment (SIA) on EU-Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) deepening

 

The EU and five countries of Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA-5) – Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, the Seychelles and Zimbabwe – are currently negotiating the deepening of the existing EU-ESA Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

The negotiations aim at a comprehensive trade agreement, covering trade in goods, services, investment and other trade-related topics, as well as an ambitious chapter on trade and sustainable development. The negotiations were launched on 2 October 2019, and, so far, four negotiation rounds have been held (in January, July, December 2020 and April 2021).

In line with the standard practice, DG Trade has commissioned an independent contractor, LSE Consulting, to undertake a Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA), which will feed into the negotiations. Its purpose is, to provide for a deep assessment of the potential economic, social, human rights and environmental effects of the anticipated new and comprehensive EPA and to undertake an ex-post evaluation of the current agreement. It will be based on a broad consultation of stakeholders and include recommendations for measures.



This is the third civil society dialogue that is being organised. 

The purpose of this 3rd meeting is to present to the EU Civil Society Organisations the state of play of the negotiations with ESA-5, the draft thematic reports of the Sustainability Impact Assessment on (1) Public  procurement  and  competition, (2) intellectual property rights and (3) dispute avoidance and settlement and institutional structure, as well as draft case studies on Agriculture, Tourism and Textiles.

All draft reports will be published shortly on the following link. We will inform registered participants as soon as the reports are published.

Lead speakers
- Ewa Synowiec, Director, Directorate-General for Trade (DG Trade), Chief Negotiator for the negotiations to deepen the EU-ESA EPA
- Study Coordinator/Team Leader of the consortium led by LSE Consulting

Moderator
Deputy Head of Unit Transparency, Civil Society and Communication Unit, DG Trade, European Commission

Agenda
1. Presentation of the state of play of the negotiations;
2. Presentation of the draft thematic reports by the consultant;
3. Open discussion with stakeholders.

More info and registration here.