Seychelles negotiates on EPA agreement

Patrick Pillay, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Negotiations on a temporary agreement for an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, of which Seychelles is a member, with the EU has been initiated by Barry Faure, Seychelles Ambassador to the European Union.

It should be noted that negotiating of an EPA with the European Union is being undertaken by the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) Group and by the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) Group. It is also important that Seychelles, as well as 15 other Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) Member States, opted to undertake these negotiations within the ESA Group. Seychelles, along with Mauritius, Comoros and Madagascar, has clinched the temporary agreement within the ESA Group as well.

In the beginning of December, Patrick Pillay, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Vivianne Fock-Tave, his Special Advisor, made presentations to the National Assembly in order to explain the importance of an EPA for Seychelles and countries of the region. According to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Seychelles’ exports to the EU will face import duty without a new agreement or without a temporary agreement.

In accordance with World Trade Organisation (WTO) guidelines, the temporary agreement was reached on November 14 and initialed on November 29. On December 31, 2007, the arrangement allowing Seychelles and other ACP countries to export to the EU at 0% import duty expired. To continue uninterrupted exports to the EU, the temporary arrangement is needed.

According to Minister Pillay, the negotiations with the EU will go on and they are expected to lead to a complete agreement by the end of 2009.