1611 Ghana interim Economic Partnership Agreement and the European Parliament

The International Trade Committee of European Parliament (INTA) voted on the Ghana interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA) last 11^th November 2016. The outcome was as follows: 27 in favour, 9 against and 1 abstention. This means that the GREENS, GUE, 5Star and at least 2 S&D voted against. The Ghana interim Economic Partnership Agreement may soon go into application so that Ghana’s trade preferences will no longer be based on Cotonou or MAR1528 but on the iEPA itself. This does not mean that Ghana will start implementing the agreement yet.

The European Union and Ghana will have to discuss which tariff liberalisation schedule Ghana will apply as the tariff liberalisation schedule of the iEPA is outdated and its point of departure no longer exists (as since 1.1.2015 the ECOWAS Common External Tariffs is in force). The ECOWAS Common External Tariff is one of the instruments for harmonising ECOWAS Member States and strengthening its Common Market. The iEPA foresees a five-year moratorium before tariff liberalisation starts. The Ghana iEPA will now be sent to the plenary assembly of the European Parliament which will vote on 12 January 2017.