Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) denote a set of comprehensive trade agreements between the European Union (EU) and countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, formerly known as ACP states. These agreements aim to extend beyond the scope of traditional trade agreements, and to create partnerships that implement trade in an effort towards sustainable development and regional integration.
International Economics participated in a cross-regional exchange and delivered a workshop on the Trade and Sustainability provisions in the EPAs in order to foster a better understanding of EPA TSD provisions, their impacts and implications for national legislation for the ESA EPA, SADC EPA and CARIFORUM EPA countries.
Trade and Sustainable Development provisions in trade agreements are aimed at ensuring that trade and investment promote sustainable development by balancing trade openness with social and environmental objectives. Knowledge and understanding of the key components of the TSD provisions vary among the stakeholders who are responsible for the implementation of EPAs in the three EPA regions. In view of this, our Team will participate in a series of exchanges with two parts for public sector officials and civil society from the three EPA regions on Trade and Sustainable Development in the context of EPAs.
