EU/Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement

The Committee on International Trade adopted a report by Alessandra MUSSOLINI (EPP, IT) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Republic of Kenya, Member of the East African Community, of the other part.

The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement.

The EU-Kenya EPA contains provisions on trade in goods, customs and trade facilitation, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, agriculture and fisheries, development cooperation, dispute avoidance and settlement, and a trade and sustainable development (TSD) annex. The Agreement also includes two Joint Statements concerning the applicability respectively of the TSD and Rules of Origin (RoO) provisions.

The Agreement will be reviewed after five years from the date of its entry into force and every five years thereafter. It includes an undertaking to negotiate new areas to be included thereto (‘rendez-vous clause’), including provisions on trade in services, and trade-related rules addressing sustainable development, competition policy, investment and private sector development, intellectual property rights and transparency in public procurement. The results of the negotiations of these areas are envisaged to be added within five years following its entry into force.