EPAs take a political dimension

EPAs take a political dimension
Written by Kabanda Chulu
Wednesday, May 27, 2009 1:53:20

ESA countries negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union have removed technocrats from the negotiations, claiming the urgent need to add a political dimension to the negotiations.

This development clearly indicates that the Eastern and Southern African (ESA) configuration would soon sign full and comprehensive EPAs that would result in free trade arrangements whereby EU goods and services would flood the markets of ESA countries and thereby affect local industries that could not compete effectively with EU companies since they were highly subsidized.

Also there have been concerns that it was not possible to establish a reciprocal market regime between the weak (ESA) and the strong (EU) because the arrangement would have negative implications on government revenue collections since EU goods would come in without paying duties and taxes.

But ESA grouping chairperson and Zambia's minister of trade and commerce Felix Mutati said EPA negotiations have been taken at a political level since time was not on 'our' side.

"We cannot negotiate in perpetuity but we have to end somewhere and politicians have a sense of urgency to conclude and produce results especially that technical people (technocrats) usually ends negotiations in deadlock so we have taken it up at political level and we shall sign provided contentious issues are addressed," Mutati said.

"Trust us we will deliver and we shall continue engaging the EU to sign EPAs soon because if we do not do it, we shall remain since trade and investment is critical to poverty reduction."

He said the EPA negotiations would now focus on minimizing disagreements.

"There is no need to stop the EPA negotiations and the new EU trade commissioner Catherine Ashton is a person we can engage with fully since she is flexible and calm and she has said something about making changes on outstanding issues but we do understand that in negotiations you never have a perfect agreement because you give and take," said Mutati.

"So let us move away from this syndrome of lacking substance and details, for instance, some people say don’t sign without understanding the substance and issues within EPAs and as Zambians, as ESA we should not be pedestrians but we should be ready to respond effectively to trade and investment matters."