The Cotonou Agreement and its Implications for the Regional Trade Agenda in Eastern and Southern Africa
Subregional trade arrangements (RTAs) in Eastern and Southern Africa have proliferated in the past 10 to 15 years. The small size of most of the countries in the region, some of which are landlocked, and the security needs in the post independence...
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| Format: | Policy Research Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
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World Bank, Washington, DC
2014
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| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/06/2416988/cotonou-agreement-implications-regional-trade-agenda-eastern-southern-africa http://hdl.handle.net/10986/18167 |
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okr-10986-181672021-04-23T14:03:41Z The Cotonou Agreement and its Implications for the Regional Trade Agenda in Eastern and Southern Africa de la Rocha, Manuel AGREEMENT ON TRADE BARGAINING POWER BILATERAL AGREEMENTS BILATERAL TRADE BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENTS BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT CAPACITY BUILDING CAPITAL FLOWS CAPITAL GOODS CHEMICAL PRODUCTS COMMON MARKET COMPETITIVENESS CONSUMERS CUSTOMS CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION CUSTOMS DOCUMENTATION CUSTOMS DUTIES CUSTOMS PROCEDURES CUSTOMS REVENUES CUSTOMS UNION CUSTOMS UNIONS DOMESTIC MARKETS DOMESTIC PRICES DOMESTIC REGULATION DUTY-FREE ACCESS ECONOMIC INTEGRATION ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS EXCHANGE RATE SYSTEMS EXPORT PROMOTION EXPORTERS EXPORTS EXTERNAL LIBERALIZATION EXTERNAL TARIFF EXTERNAL TARIFFS FACTOR ENDOWMENTS FINAL PRODUCT FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT FOREIGN INVESTMENT FREE ACCESS FREE MARKET FREE TRADE FREE TRADE AREA FREE TRADE AREAS FREE- TRADE AREAS GDP GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES GLOBAL ECONOMY GLOBAL EXPORTS GLOBAL MARKETS HARMONIZATION IMPACT OF TRADE IMPORT LICENSING IMPORT SUBSTITUTION IMPORTED PRODUCT INCOME CONVERGENCE INCREASING TRADE INDUSTRY TRADE INEFFICIENCY INEFFICIENT TRADE DIVERSION INTEGRATION PROCESS INTERMEDIATE GOODS INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL MARKETS INTRA-REGIONAL IMPORTS INTRA-REGIONAL TRADE INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS INVESTMENT POLICIES LDCS REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS ECONOMIC AGREEMENTS EUROPEAN UNION FREE TRADE AREAS PARTNERSHIPS Subregional trade arrangements (RTAs) in Eastern and Southern Africa have proliferated in the past 10 to 15 years. The small size of most of the countries in the region, some of which are landlocked, and the security needs in the post independence period largely explain the rapid expansion. These arrangements are characterized by multiple and overlapping memberships, complex structures, and eventually, conflicting and confusing commitments. The influence of RTAs has been limited to assisting the region in increasing trade, attracting foreign direct investment, enhancing growth, and achieving convergence among member countries. But despite their limitations, RTAs have the potential, if properly designed and effectively implemented, to be an important instrument in integrating member countries into global markets. In 1998 most of the Southern African countries, as members of the Africa Caribbean Pacific group (ACP), signed the Cotonou Agreement with the European Union, which includes the negotiation of economic partnership agreements (EPAs) between the EU and the ACP. The Cotonou Agreement explicitly leaves to the ACP countries to decide the level and procedures of the EPA trade negotiations, taking into account the regional integration process. This raises the question of how to decide on the groupings in the context of conflicting regional trade agendas. The author argues that the Cotonou Agreement and EPA negotiations could become the external driving force that will push the regional organizations to rationalize and harmonize their regional trade arrangements, thus strengthening the integration process and economies of the region, and assisting the Eastern and Southern Africa region in becoming a more active partner in the global economy. 2014-05-05T19:58:03Z 2014-05-05T19:58:03Z 2003-06 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/06/2416988/cotonou-agreement-implications-regional-trade-agenda-eastern-southern-africa http://hdl.handle.net/10986/18167 English en_US Policy Research Working Paper;No. 3090 CC BY 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/ World Bank, Washington, DC Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper Publications & Research Africa East Africa Southern Africa |
| repository_type |
Digital Repository |
| institution_category |
Foreign Institution |
| institution |
Digital Repositories |
| building |
World Bank Open Knowledge Repository |
| collection |
World Bank |
| language |
English en_US |
| topic |
AGREEMENT ON TRADE BARGAINING POWER BILATERAL AGREEMENTS BILATERAL TRADE BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENTS BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT CAPACITY BUILDING CAPITAL FLOWS CAPITAL GOODS CHEMICAL PRODUCTS COMMON MARKET COMPETITIVENESS CONSUMERS CUSTOMS CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION CUSTOMS DOCUMENTATION CUSTOMS DUTIES CUSTOMS PROCEDURES CUSTOMS REVENUES CUSTOMS UNION CUSTOMS UNIONS DOMESTIC MARKETS DOMESTIC PRICES DOMESTIC REGULATION DUTY-FREE ACCESS ECONOMIC INTEGRATION ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS EXCHANGE RATE SYSTEMS EXPORT PROMOTION EXPORTERS EXPORTS EXTERNAL LIBERALIZATION EXTERNAL TARIFF EXTERNAL TARIFFS FACTOR ENDOWMENTS FINAL PRODUCT FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT FOREIGN INVESTMENT FREE ACCESS FREE MARKET FREE TRADE FREE TRADE AREA FREE TRADE AREAS FREE- TRADE AREAS GDP GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES GLOBAL ECONOMY GLOBAL EXPORTS GLOBAL MARKETS HARMONIZATION IMPACT OF TRADE IMPORT LICENSING IMPORT SUBSTITUTION IMPORTED PRODUCT INCOME CONVERGENCE INCREASING TRADE INDUSTRY TRADE INEFFICIENCY INEFFICIENT TRADE DIVERSION INTEGRATION PROCESS INTERMEDIATE GOODS INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL MARKETS INTRA-REGIONAL IMPORTS INTRA-REGIONAL TRADE INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS INVESTMENT POLICIES LDCS REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS ECONOMIC AGREEMENTS EUROPEAN UNION FREE TRADE AREAS PARTNERSHIPS |
| spellingShingle |
AGREEMENT ON TRADE BARGAINING POWER BILATERAL AGREEMENTS BILATERAL TRADE BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENTS BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT CAPACITY BUILDING CAPITAL FLOWS CAPITAL GOODS CHEMICAL PRODUCTS COMMON MARKET COMPETITIVENESS CONSUMERS CUSTOMS CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION CUSTOMS DOCUMENTATION CUSTOMS DUTIES CUSTOMS PROCEDURES CUSTOMS REVENUES CUSTOMS UNION CUSTOMS UNIONS DOMESTIC MARKETS DOMESTIC PRICES DOMESTIC REGULATION DUTY-FREE ACCESS ECONOMIC INTEGRATION ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS EXCHANGE RATE SYSTEMS EXPORT PROMOTION EXPORTERS EXPORTS EXTERNAL LIBERALIZATION EXTERNAL TARIFF EXTERNAL TARIFFS FACTOR ENDOWMENTS FINAL PRODUCT FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT FOREIGN INVESTMENT FREE ACCESS FREE MARKET FREE TRADE FREE TRADE AREA FREE TRADE AREAS FREE- TRADE AREAS GDP GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES GLOBAL ECONOMY GLOBAL EXPORTS GLOBAL MARKETS HARMONIZATION IMPACT OF TRADE IMPORT LICENSING IMPORT SUBSTITUTION IMPORTED PRODUCT INCOME CONVERGENCE INCREASING TRADE INDUSTRY TRADE INEFFICIENCY INEFFICIENT TRADE DIVERSION INTEGRATION PROCESS INTERMEDIATE GOODS INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL INTERNATIONAL MARKETS INTRA-REGIONAL IMPORTS INTRA-REGIONAL TRADE INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS INVESTMENT POLICIES LDCS REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS ECONOMIC AGREEMENTS EUROPEAN UNION FREE TRADE AREAS PARTNERSHIPS de la Rocha, Manuel The Cotonou Agreement and its Implications for the Regional Trade Agenda in Eastern and Southern Africa |
| geographic_facet |
Africa East Africa Southern Africa |
| relation |
Policy Research Working Paper;No. 3090 |
| description |
Subregional trade arrangements (RTAs) in
Eastern and Southern Africa have proliferated in the past 10
to 15 years. The small size of most of the countries in the
region, some of which are landlocked, and the security needs
in the post independence period largely explain the rapid
expansion. These arrangements are characterized by multiple
and overlapping memberships, complex structures, and
eventually, conflicting and confusing commitments. The
influence of RTAs has been limited to assisting the region
in increasing trade, attracting foreign direct investment,
enhancing growth, and achieving convergence among member
countries. But despite their limitations, RTAs have the
potential, if properly designed and effectively implemented,
to be an important instrument in integrating member
countries into global markets. In 1998 most of the Southern
African countries, as members of the Africa Caribbean
Pacific group (ACP), signed the Cotonou Agreement with the
European Union, which includes the negotiation of economic
partnership agreements (EPAs) between the EU and the ACP.
The Cotonou Agreement explicitly leaves to the ACP countries
to decide the level and procedures of the EPA trade
negotiations, taking into account the regional integration
process. This raises the question of how to decide on the
groupings in the context of conflicting regional trade
agendas. The author argues that the Cotonou Agreement and
EPA negotiations could become the external driving force
that will push the regional organizations to rationalize and
harmonize their regional trade arrangements, thus
strengthening the integration process and economies of the
region, and assisting the Eastern and Southern Africa region
in becoming a more active partner in the global economy. |
| format |
Publications & Research :: Policy Research Working Paper |
| author |
de la Rocha, Manuel |
| author_facet |
de la Rocha, Manuel |
| author_sort |
de la Rocha, Manuel |
| title |
The Cotonou Agreement and its Implications for the Regional Trade Agenda in Eastern and Southern Africa |
| title_short |
The Cotonou Agreement and its Implications for the Regional Trade Agenda in Eastern and Southern Africa |
| title_full |
The Cotonou Agreement and its Implications for the Regional Trade Agenda in Eastern and Southern Africa |
| title_fullStr |
The Cotonou Agreement and its Implications for the Regional Trade Agenda in Eastern and Southern Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed |
The Cotonou Agreement and its Implications for the Regional Trade Agenda in Eastern and Southern Africa |
| title_sort |
cotonou agreement and its implications for the regional trade agenda in eastern and southern africa |
| publisher |
World Bank, Washington, DC |
| publishDate |
2014 |
| url |
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2003/06/2416988/cotonou-agreement-implications-regional-trade-agenda-eastern-southern-africa http://hdl.handle.net/10986/18167 |
| _version_ |
1764439034496548864 |