Geingob sheds light on EPAs
New Era | 24 June 2009
Geingob Sheds Light On EPAs
by John Ekongo
WINDHOEK — The Minister of Trade and Industry Dr Hage Geingob yesterday provided rare behind-the-scene reasons that have kept the protracted Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Namibia and the European Union from being concluded despite months of negotiations.
The Government is perplexed by the attitude of the European Commission (EC) in its negotiations with some Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states towards an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
The EC and SADC members states, Namibia, South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland entered into negotiations towards an EPA that would enable the southern African states to gain and maintain access to the lucrative European Union (EU) market in March this year.
After that meeting, held in the resort town of Swakopmund, the two parties agreed to disagree until some sections beneficial to Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Swaziland as well as Angola and Mozambique were to be included, but negotiations started stalling after the EC reneged on the Swakopmund outcome.
Namibia, Angola and South Africa objected to some provisions in a draft declaration from the EU, which was to accompany the signing of an interim EPA at a meeting held in Gaborone, Botswana, in May this year.
The declaration was revised to reflect decisions taken at the March 9 Swakopmund meeting to be included as an annex or added on.
Consequently, the involved SADC member states convened a follow-up meeting in Swakopmund where they made several recommendations to the earlier EU draft declaration.
