Over R481m committed to boost SADC/EU trade

The Southern African
Development Community
(SADC) and the European
Union (EU) last week
formally launched trade
facilitation projects worth
€31.6 (R481m) million.
The projects were
launched at the SADC
Summit in Pretoria under
the Trade Related Facility
(TRF) agreement which
was established to improve
the participation of SADC
member states in regional
and international trade to
ensure sustainable trade
development within the
region.
The TRF supports
projects with a focus on
customs cooperation,
technical barriers to trade,
sanitary and phytosanitary
measures, rules of origin,
trade facilitation, industrial
development, trade
promotion and development,
and trade in services.
“In addition, the TRF
projects also focus on
specific areas that relate to
the EU/SADC Economic
Partnership Agreement
(EPA) including trade
defence instruments, traderelated
adjustment and
competition policy,” said
SADC director of policy
planning and resource
mobilisation, Mubita
Luwabelwa.
EU representative, John
Taylor, reiterated the EU’s
financial commitment
to supporting projects
which promote regional
integration.