3 SADC members sign EU trade partnership

THE anticipated split in the SADC-EPA group of seven becomes a reality today when Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland sign the controversial interim trade pact with the European Union (EU), leaving Namibia, South Africa and Angola (ANSA) to fight for their guaranteed interests.

Mozambique’s stand wasn’t clear at the time of going to press. Unconfirmed reports claimed that the mandated person for Mozambique was sick and couldn’t attend the signing ceremony scheduled to take place in Brussels today.Reuters quoted European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso after he met Botswana’s President Seretse Khama in the EU capital on Tuesday, saying he looked forward to signing the interim economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the country.According to the Reuters report, Khama confirmed the EPA signing between the EU and Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland, estimated to be worth around two billion euro, nearly N$23 billion at yesterday’s exchange rate. This will grant the three African countries quota- and tariff-free access to EU markets, albeit it at a price many observers and Namibia believe is not worth it at this stage.Trade and Industry Minister Hage Geingob made it clear last week that Namibia will not sign any EPA until the EU guarantees amendments to the existing agreement in writing and until the EU treats Namibia as an equal partner.’You can’t smoke cigars in Brussels and bulldoze us,’ Geingob warned the 27-nation bloc at a press briefing on Friday.Namibia is willing to agree to the EPA as soon as the EU assures it in writing of changes to the contentious issues regarding food security, infant industry protection, export taxes and the free circulation of goods. Until now, the EU has refused bluntly, Geingob said.Also hampering the signing are the unresolved matters of the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) and the Definition of Parties (DoF). South-South trade could be threatened by the MFN clause, while the DoP will destabilise the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) and derail regional integration, Namibia and others fear.Geingob said the SADC-EPA configuration’s differences on whether to sign the interim EPA or not haven’t caused any ill feelings amongst members. After a one-day meeting in Gaborone recently, the group agreed to recognise their different individual concerns as legitimate. Therefore, those who decided to sign the interim EPA do so with the SADC-EPA’s blessing and vice versa, he said.Geingob said the EPA is important to Namibia’s agricultural sector. Unlike Angola, which benefits under the Everything But Arms (EBA) Agreement for least developed countries, and South Africa, which enjoys a Trade and Development Cooperation Agreement (TDCA) with the EU, Namibia needs the EPA – but on Namibia’s terms.jo-mare@namibian.com.na