Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Kenya

Summary:

Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) signed by the European Union (EU) and Kenya (a member of the East African Community - EAC).

Further information:

This Agreement includes provisions on trade in goods, fisheries, agriculture, economic and development cooperation, institutional relations, dispute avoidance and settlement. It aims to:

• contribute to economic growth and development through the establishment of a strengthened and strategic trade and development partnership consistent with the objective of sustainable development;
• promote regional integration, economic cooperation and good governance in the EAC Partner State(s);
• promote the gradual integration of the EAC Partner State(s) into the world economy;
• foster the structural transformation of the economies of the EAC Partner State(s), and their diversification and competitiveness by enhancing their production, supply and trading capacity;
• improve the capacity of the EAC Partner State(s) in trade policy and trade-related issues;
• establish and implement an effective, predictable and transparent regulatory framework for trade and investment in the EAC Partner State(s);
• strengthen the existing relations between the Parties on the basis of solidarity and mutual interest.

The Council of the European Union adopted a Council Decision authorising the European Commission to launch negotiations for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States. The talks between the EU and the EAC Partner States - which includes Kenya - for an EU-EAC EPA were concluded on 14 October 2014 and the Agreement was initialled on 16 October 2014. Whilst Kenya signed and ratified the EU-EAC EPA in September 2016, the Agreement was yet to enter into force because not all EAC members had proceeded with signature and ratification.

On 19 December 2019, the Council updated the Commission's negotiating directives from 2002 to include a chapter on trade and sustainable development in EPAs. In February 2021, the EAC Summit authorised individual EAC members to proceed with the bilateral implementation of EU-EAC EPA under the principle of variable geometry. In May 2021, Kenya notified the Commission of its request to move forward in that sense.

On 17 February 2022, the EU and Kenya signed a Joint Statement agreeing to advance the negotiations on an EPA between the EU and Kenya. The talks were successfully concluded on 24 May 2023. The Agreement was signed by both parties on 18 December 2023, and concluded on 30 May 2024. The text of the Agreement was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 1 July 2024.

• Primary Source

Commentary and Analysis

BBC News, 23/06/2023: Kenya-EU trade deal: Why the East African Community was left out https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-65962772

European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS): Briefing, 03/07/2023: International Agreements in Progress: Economic Partnership Agreement with Kenya (East African Community) - Third Edition https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2023)751390

European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS): Briefing, 24/07/2023: Kenya and its role in intra-Africa regional trade: The prospects of the EU-Kenya EPA https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EXPO_BRI(2023)702596

The Economist: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), 05/02/2024: Kenyan trade deals with UK and EU face tariff dispute https://www.eiu.com/n/kenyan-trade-deals-with-uk-and-eu-face-tariff-dispute/

London School of Economics (LSE): EUROPP Blog, 08/02/2024: Could the EU’s trade deal with Kenya strengthen the African Continental Free Trade Area? https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2024/02/08/could-the-eus-trade-deal-with-kenya-strengthen-the-african-continental-free-trade-area/

European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS): Briefing, 12/02/2024: International Agreements in Progress: Economic Partnership Agreement with Kenya (East African Community) - Fourth Edition https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2024)757652

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News

Reuters, 19/06/2023: Kenya signs trade deal with European Union to safeguard exports https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/kenya-signs-trade-deal-with-european-union-safeguard-exports-2023-06-19/

RFI News, 19/06/2023: EU and Kenya sign trade deal in Nairobi in a move to strengthen continental ties https://www.rfi.fr/en/business/20230619-eu-and-kenya-sign-trade-in-nairobi-in-a-move-to-strengthen-continental-ties

EUObserver, 03/10/2023: The EU-Kenya free trade deal shows a waning 'Brussels effect' https://euobserver.com/eu-and-the-world/ar2436c9dc

EurActiv, 18/12/2023: EU-Kenya trade pact is the ‘most ambitious’ on climate and labour rights https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/eu-kenya-trade-pact-is-the-most-ambitious-on-climate-and-labour-rights/

Reuters, 18/12/2023: Kenya, EU advance economic partnership agreement to boost trade https://www.reuters.com/world/kenya-eu-advance-economic-partnership-agreement-boost-trade-2023-12-18/

France24, 18/12/2023: EU and Kenya sign 'historic' partnership to boost investment, trade https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231218-kenya-eu-ink-historic-trade-deal

RFI News, 18/12/2023: EU, Kenya sign landmark trade deal hailed as beginning of 'historic partnership' https://www.rfi.fr/en/international/20231218-eu-kenya-sign-landmark-trade-deal-hailed-as-beginning-of-historic-partnership

Deutsche Welle, 18/12/2023: Kenya-EU trade deal on track? https://p.dw.com/p/4Spxh

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Official

EUR-LEX: OJ: L Series: Council Decision (EU) 2024/1647 on the conclusion of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Kenya, Member of the East African Community http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2024/1647/oj

EUR-LEX: OJ L Series: Council Decision (EU) 2023/2853 on the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Kenya, Member of the East African Community http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2023/2853/oj

EUR-LEX: COM(2023)559: Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement between Kenya, Member of the East African Community, and the European Union https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2023:559:FIN

EUR-LEX: COM(2023)562: Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Economic Partnership Agreement between Kenya, Member of the East African Community, and the European Union https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2023:562:FIN

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File for Proposal on EU/Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement (2023/0338(NLE)) https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2023/0338(NLE)

European Commission: DG Trade: EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/east-african-community-eac/eu-kenya-agreement_en

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 20/06/2016: East African Community: EU to sign economic partnership agreement with Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2016/06/20/fac-eac-epa/

European Commission: DG Trade: News, 17/02/2022: EU and Kenya advance talks on interim Economic Partnership Agreement with sustainability provisions https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-and-kenya-advance-talks-interim-economic-partnership-agreement-sustainability-provisions-2022-02-17_en

European Commission: Press Release, 19/06/2023: EU and Kenya conclude negotiations for an ambitious Economic Partnership Agreement with strong sustainability provisions https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_23_3323

European Commission: DG Trade: News, 19/06/2023: EU-Kenya Joint Communiqué https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-kenya-joint-communique-2023-06-19_en

European Commission: DG Trade: News, 19/06/2023: Key elements of the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/news/key-elements-eu-kenya-economic-partnership-agreement-2023-06-19_en

European Commission: DG Trade: News, 28/09/2023: EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement closer to approval https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/news/eu-kenya-economic-partnership-agreement-closer-approval-2023-09-28_en

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 12/12/2023: EU-Kenya: Council adopts decision on the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/12/12/eu-kenya-council-adopts-decision-on-the-signing-of-the-economic-partnership-agreement/

European Commission: Press Release, 18/12/2023: EU and Kenya sign ambitious Economic Partnership Agreement with strong sustainability provisions https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_23_6632

Spanish Government (La Moncloa): News, 18/12/2023: New milestone for the Spanish presidency with the signing of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Kenya https://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/lang/en/gobierno/news/Paginas/2023/20231218_eu-kenya-economic-agreement.aspx

Polish Government: News, 18/12/2023: The European Union - Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement signed https://www.gov.pl/web/kenya/the-european-union---kenya-economic-partnership-agreement-signed

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 19/12/2023: The EU and Kenya sign a landmark Economic Partnership Agreement https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/12/19/the-eu-and-kenya-sign-a-landmark-economic-partnership-agreement/

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 30/05/2024: EU-Kenya: Council takes final step to allow the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/05/30/eu-kenya-council-takes-final-step-to-allow-the-implementation-of-the-economic-partnership-agreement/

European Commission: Press Release, 01/07/2024: Ambitious EU–Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement enters into force https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_3548

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