DECISION ON THE REPORT OF THE EXTRAORDINARY SESSION
OF THE AU CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS OF TRADE (CAMOT),
23-28 APRIL 2014 ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
Doc. EX.CL/841(XXV)
The Executive Council,
1. TAKES NOTE of the Report of the Extraordinary Session of the AU Conference of Ministers of Trade held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 23 to 28 April 2014 and ENDORSES the recommendations contained therein, with the exception of recommendation 14 (I), 1a on the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement;
On the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA)
2. CALLS UPON all Member States and Regional Economic Communities to provide technical and financial support for the implementation of the AUC/Continental Task Force Work Plan to prepare for the launch of the CFTA negotiations during the June/July Summit of 2015;
On the World Trade Organisation (WTO):
3. CALLS UPON African members of WTO to implement the Trade Facilitation Agreement as agreed at the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference held in Bali, Indonesia in December 2013, and REQUESTS the Commission and Member States to engage concerned partners accordingly;
4. REQUESTS:
i) The Commission in close collaboration with the UNECA and working with the African negotiators in Geneva to develop a position paper for Africa on African priorities and positions for the post-Bali work programme, to be submitted for consideration and adoption by the 9th Ordinary Session of AU Ministers of Trade in October 2014;
ii) That acceding African States benefit from the provisions of Section II of the Trade Facilitation Agreement relating to special and preferential treatment, as well as technical and financial assistance and transitory provisions.
On Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs):
5. URGES Member States and the Commission to engage the European Union to clarify the entry into force of the deadline of the EU Market Access Regulation and explore all avenues that can prevent trade disruption, including requesting an extension and identifying alternative markets in Africa;
6. TAKES NOTE of progress made in the negotiation of EPAs at the level of the West African region;
7. REQUESTS:
i) The Commission, Member States and the private sector to expeditiously undertake resource mobilisation within and beyond the continent in order to support those countries that will be negatively impacted by the withdrawal of Market Access Regulation 1528/2007 as amended, by 1st October 2014;
ii) The Commission and UNECA to urgently undertake more technical analysis, including a summary of the recommendations of studies done, and propose solutions on the impact of EPAs on African economies in the context of the pending withdrawal of market access by 1st of October 2014. The Analysis should focus on non-LDCs and the implications at national, regional and continental levels.
On AGOA:
8. ENCOURAGES Member states eligible under AGOA to develop AGOA national response strategies in order to maximize benefits from AGOA;
9. REQUESTS the Commission in collaboration with the African Group of Ambassadors in Washington DC and Member States to intensify their engagements with the US Government to advance Africa’s common position on the future of AGOA; in this regard, the issues of better market access, flexibility in Rules of Origin and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures and especially capacity building should be priority issues when advocating with the US;
10. APPEALS to AGOA eligible countries to lobby for reauthorization and the extension of AGOA preferences to all African countries for at least 15 years and for the expansion of product coverage of AGOA exports to the US as well.