| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2014) 576 final (15.09.14) |
| Publication Date | 15/09/2014 |
| Content Type | Policy-making |
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The attached proposal for a Council Decision constitutes the legal instrument for the signing and provisional application of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the West African States, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), of the one part, and the European Union and its Member States, of the other part. The EPA with the whole West African region was negotiated in line with the objectives laid down in the EU-ACP Partnership Agreement signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 and revised in Luxembourg on 25 June 2005 and in Ouagadougou on 22 June 2010 (Cotonou Agreement), and in the negotiating directives concerning EPAs with the ACP States adopted by the Council on 12 June 2002. The negotiations were completed at the level of the Chief Negotiators on 6 February 2014 in Brussels. The Agreement was initialled on 30 June 2014 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. As soon as the Agreement enters into force, it will replace the two existing interim EPAs in the region, namely the Stepping Stone Agreement with Côte d'Ivoire, which was initialled on 7 December 2007, signed on 26 November 2008 and approved by the European Parliament on 25 March 2009, and the Stepping Stone Agreement with Ghana, which was initialled on 13 December 2007. Cape Verde currently benefits from the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance in the scheme of generalised tariff preferences (GSP+), and Nigeria currently benefits from the scheme of generalised tariff preferences (GSP). The Agreement will take over from these schemes as soon as it enters into force. The other countries of the region currently benefit from the 'Everything But Arms' initiative, since they are classified among the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The entry into force of the Agreement will ensure a harmonised trade regime between the European Union and the West African region, thereby supporting regional integration and the implementation of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff. |
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| Source Link | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2014:576:FIN |
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| Countries / Regions | Africa, Europe |
