A Monitoring Process for the implementation of EPAs: What recommendations for a way forward?

Following up on the consultation in February 2007 the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) and the German Development Institute (DIE) organised a half day follow up workshop on Monitoring Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) in Brussels.

The purpose of the workshop was to elaborate on concrete recommendations for a way forward, covering both (i) key functions and institutional questions that should be covered by the legal text, and (ii) and concrete steps that should be taken after signing an EPA to ensure that Monitoring becomes operational and effective.

In order to make the monitoring mechanism useful and operational it is important to establish it as part of the EPA provisions. The purpose of the first session was thus, to start identifying those features that should be covered by the legal text. After a short presentation summarising key elements of the background paper circulated for this workshop, participants discussed whether and how different aspects of monitoring should be contractualised.

Photo By Stig Nygaard