Overview of the regional EPA negotiations: SADC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement

The purpose of this InBrief series is to provide a synthesis of the main elements and issues at stake for the 6 African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) groupings negotiating an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU). Each InBrief offers an overview of the economic and regional integration dynamics influencing the structure, pace, and outcome of the EPA negotiation process for each region. It also focuses on the main issues and challenges to be tackled by each region in order to make the new trade arrangement a development oriented instrument. Each regional InBrief is complemented by an update on the ongoing EPA negotiation process. 

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is composed of a diverse group of countries facing various development challenges. Among the region’s fourteen countries, with a total of more than 200 million inhabitants, there are large differences in size, economic development, trade patterns and factor endowments. SADC comprises eight least developed countries, some land-locked and small and vulnerable economies, as well as one prominent country, South Africa, which accounts for over two-thirds of the region’s economy.