Considerations on COM(2014)576 - Signing and provisional application of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the West African States, ECOWAS and the UEMOA

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dossier COM(2014)576 - Signing and provisional application of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the West African States, ECOWAS and the ...
document COM(2014)576 EN
date September 15, 2014
 
(1) On 12 June 2002 the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations for Economic Partnership Agreements with the ACP countries.

(2) The negotiations have been concluded and the Economic Partnership Agreement between the West African States (the Republic of Benin, Burkina Faso, the Republic of Cape Verde, the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, the Republic of Gambia, the Republic of Ghana, the Republic of Guinea, the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, the Republic of Liberia, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Republic of Mali, the Republic of Niger, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Republic of Senegal, the Republic of Sierra Leone and the Togolese Republic), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), of the one part, and the European Union and its Member States, of the other part, (hereinafter referred to as the EPA) was initialled on 30 June 2014.

(3) Economic Partnership Agreements with ACP countries are necessary in order to implement the European Union's trade and development cooperation policy with the ACP countries.

(4) Article 107(3) of the EPA provides for its provisional application pending its entry into force.

(5) The EPA should be signed on behalf of the European Union and applied on a provisional basis subject to its conclusion at a later date.