Sustainability Impact Assessment for a deeper Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA)
The Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs)
SIAs are independent studies supporting the European Union’s international trade they provide in-depth analysis of the potential economic, social, human rights and environmental impacts. SIAs involve a wide outreach to stakeholders in both the EU and partner countries to ensure that these agreements are evidence-based, transparent and sustainable.
The Economic Partnership Agreement
The EU has concluded several development-oriented Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with ACP regions and countries. An interim EPA is currently in place between the EU and five countries in Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA): Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe. In October 2019, the EU and these ESA countries started negotiations to deepen their interim EPA. For further information on the interim EPA, please see the web page of the European Commission (DG Trade). For further information on the current negotiations, including the EU’s proposed negotiating texts, please see the following web page.
This SIA
The Trade Policy Hub at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) led a team of experts commissioned by the EU, helping the parties assess the potential economic, environmental, social, and human rights impacts of a deeper EPA with the ESA countries.