Push to sign deal to ensure better market access to EU for SA and Sadc
THERE is some urgency regarding the ratification of the partnership agreement between the EU and some members of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc).The government wants ratification concluded before October 1, the expiry date of the existing quota-free market access regulation for Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland exports into the EU.This would ensure that these countries continued to enjoy preferential market access into the EU in terms of the partnership agreement, which was signed in June after nearly a decade of negotiations.Department of Trade and Industry chief director of trade negotiations Niki Kruger told Parliament’s trade and industry portfolio committee on Wednesday, that Sadc countries participating in the agreement would have to ratify it before it entered into force.SADC countries party to the agreement are SA, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Swaziland, with Angola having the option to join in the agreement in future.The EU could provisionally ...
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