Sustainable impact assessments key in partnership agreements - Experts

Experts say countries of Central Africa can only benefit from the agreement once sustainable impact assessments are done.

Delegates to the 14th regional seminar of the Africa Caribbean Pacific – European Union economic and social interest groups have parted company in Yaounde with the resolve to push further for the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement, EPA, between the European Union and countries of the Central Africa region amongst other issues.

The July 6-8, 2015 get-together focused on issues such as the sustainable development goals and post-2015 framework: contribution of civil society, the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Central African States and the Post-Cotonou agenda.

After examining the state of trade negotiation and how the civil society is involved in the Economic Partnership Agreement venture in the region, delegates insisted on the need for sustainable impact assessments that take into account the reality of economies, especially consumer interests, the size of businesses, the job market, poverty eradication, women, young people and vulnerable groups.

They equally urged political consideration of the African context when implementing EPA rules, to remove technical and economic obstacles likely to prevent the development of intra-regional trade in Central Africa, and to devise mechanisms to offset any loss of tax income resulting from the implementation of the agreement.

Participants to the Yaounde gathering also recommended the strengthening of basic infrastructure and regional integration, and, in particular, making the free movement of goods and people a reality. They reminded the EPA negotiation teams that the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the agreement must be balanced in order to be able to make a successful contribution to reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development.

The Secretary General of Cameroon’s Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Gilbert Didier Edoa recalled that Cameroon and the sub-region were still drawing up the calendar of the effective implementation of the agreement.

Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the country’s Employers’ Association, GICAM, Alain Blaise Batongue, insisted on the role of the civil society in the economic adventure, stressing that with or without the EPA, be it strong or weak, economies need to be competitive.

The not-so-satisfactory capacities of exports by enterprises coupled with feeble competition in the agro-industry sector were brought to the fore. Experts proposed an exchange of notes between regional small and medium sized enterprises with those of the EU with focus on training how to respect sanitary and phytosanitary norms.

Mandatory technical regulations and voluntary standards that define specific characteristics of a product such as its size, shape, design, labeling, marking, packaging, functionality or performance, as well as the associated “conformity assessment procedures (testing, inspection and certification activities) are of prime consideration for exports.