TIPS, in collaboration with the Overseas Development Institute and as part of its AusAID-funded Southern African Trade Development Programme, in March 2008 held an EPA workshop at its office in Pretoria.
The objectives of the workshop were to present the content of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), East African Community (EAC) and Eastern & Southern Africa (ESA) EPA trade arrangements with the European Union, including trade liberalisation details, trade defence mechanisms and infant industry protection.
The workshop was also designed to inform the participants on outstanding EPA-related issues to be negotiated in 2008, look at various EPA variations and help participants to consider the alternatives to EPA deals whilst taking into account the status of the countries (e.g. least developed countries) and the complexities of the trade losses associated with trade regime change compared to others.
Particular attention was paid to skills training with regard to the complexities of such assessments and concrete examples of country case studies were applied. As such, the workshop aimed to raise awareness of the various dimensions to consider when assessing the EPA deals and to help participants think about and evaluate the implications for regional integration in a SADC (and EAC and COMESA) framework.
The workshop was conducted mainly by Dr. Mareike Meyn from the ODI.
Wamkele Mene of the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) presented South Africa's perspective in the SADC-EU EPA negotiations.
Participants included government officials (from the dti, National Treasury, the Departments of Agriculture, Foreign Affairs and others) involved in the conduct of trade policy and trade negotiations – whether at WTO bilateral or regional level – and officials in development Ministries whose tasks increasingly include keeping track of ongoing trade negotiations and the performance of their sectors.
Researchers in academia, think tanks and regional research networks concerned with trade and trade negotiations also participated in the workshop.
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Programme
| 4 March 2008 | |
| 08h30 – 09h00 | Registration |
| 09h00 | Welcome address by TIPS |
| 09h15 | Introduction and overview of the course by ODI |
| 09h30 | “EPAs – what has happened so far?” M. Meyn, ODI |
10h15 |
“The South African perspective” W. Mene, the dti |
| 10h45 | Questions and discussion |
| 11h00 | Coffee |
| 11h15 | “The interim EPAs – some facts” M. Meyn, ODI |
| 12h00 | Questions and discussion |
| 12h30 | Lunch break |
13h30 |
“What are the costs of a non-EPA?” M. Meyn, ODI |
| 14h00 | Questions and discussion |
| 14h15 | “2008 EPA negotiations: what are the challenges for African countries?” M. Meyn, ODI 1 |
| 14h45 – 15h30 | Discussion and reflection of day 1 TIPS |
| 5 March 2008 | |
| 9h00 | “The EPA negotiations – some comments and implications” TIPS |
| 9h15 | Questions and discussion |
| 9h30 | “EPAs and regional integration in southern and eastern Africa – what future for SADC and COMESA” M. Meyn, ODI |
| 10h15 | Regional integration in southern and eastern Africa – scenario building Group work facilitated by M. Meyn, ODI |
| 11h00 | Coffee |
| 11h15 | Presentation of group results and discussion |
| 12h00 | “How to box smart” M. Meyn, ODI |
| 12h20 | Questions and discussion |
| 12h40 – 13h00 | Closing and thank you S. Hanival, TIPS |