25 Jun 2018

The Southern African Customs Union (SACU), Mozambique and European Union have commenced discussions to conclude a new Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the UK post-Brexit. 

In an interview, SACU executive secretary, Ms Paulina Elago said a SACU-UK ministerial roundtable discussion held in Johannesburg, South Africa on July 19 last year agreed to replicate the EU-SADC EPA as in immediate step to avoid trade disruption. 

Ms Elago said that technical engagements also commenced in October last year and the parties adopted the Terms of Reference, roadmap for the engagement, provisions of the EPA text as well as areas that would require further discussion beyond the roll-over.

“Both parties have shared textual proposals on the changes to main EPA text, annexes and protocols,” she said. She said Protocol 3 on geographical indications would be considered bilaterally between South Africa and the UK. 

She said the parties have also agreed that the Cotonou Agreement would no longer apply to the UK when it leaves the EU and it had made a proposal in the new agreement.

The UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement runs from April 1, 2019 to December 31, 2020 and during such period, the UK would be treated as an EU member state and would remain party to EU’s international agreements, including the EU-SADC-EPA.  

She said SACU was in the process of analysing the essential elements of the Cotonou Agreement which SACU and Mozambique would propose to be part of the new agreement as counter proposal to the proposal by the UK and the implications of the UK-EU implementation agreement. 

Further, Ms Elago said the roadmap to conclude the engagement had been revised and was envisioned to conclude discussions by the end of August this year to pave way for legal scrubbing of the final texts, signature and ratification of the Agreement next year. ENDS