EAC makes strides towards EU partnership agreement

The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the East African Community (EAC) and European Union (EU) could be concluded by mid-May this year, according to news reports.
The Kenya News Agency says it was announced following a one-day retreat held in Nairobi by 100 government and private sector stakeholders to strategise on ways of enhancing Kenya's exports in the Great Lakes region.
Kenya’s Standard Digital reported foreign affairs and international trade principal secretary Karanja Kibicho as saying after the event last week that the meeting in mid-May was sought to deliberate on the remaining three contentious issues delaying final deal on the new EPA.
Online site New Europe noted that the EAC's position was that the EU should eliminate export subsidies on its agricultural products. "If these products are allowed duty-free access to our markets, they could negatively impact our farmers," Karanja reportedly said. Another contentious issue is the EAC's use of taxes to discourage export of raw materials. The EU and EAC are also yet to agree on the inclusion of non-trade issues on the trade negotiations, according to the report.