AU says EU must respect integration

LUSAKA – The African Union (AU) says Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union (EU) should not compromise Africa’s efforts to integrate.

AU Deputy Chairperson, Erastus Mwencha said in an interview in Lusaka that integration was important for African countries to create a bigger market.
‘Zambia has a population of about 10 million and this is not enough to use as a basis to compete globally. Integration is extremely important for our continent.
‘It’s a lifeline and not a luxury. We need to work together and be part of the global economy,’ he said.
Mwencha said if EPAs would make it difficult for African countries to integrate, it was important to think twice on the agreement.
EPAs are a new development co-operation agreement involving the EU and Africa Caribbean Pacific countries.
It is meant to replace the Cotonou Agreements to harmonise them with the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
‘Whatever we do, be it under WTO or EPAs, it should not compromise our own integration. This is one worry we have with the EPAs. If it will make it difficult for Africa to integrate, we must think twice,’ he said.
Mwencha questioned the purpose of being linked to the global economy if EPAs were making integration of African countries difficult.
He said Africa was already linked to the global market and was not benefiting from that linkage.
‘What is important for Africa is to integrate, and this is something we must guard jealously,’ he said.
– Zambian Daily Mail