SA and the European Union are expected to make progress on a comprehensive trade and development agreement when they meet today at a summit to be held in the Kruger National Park.
EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht was expected to be taking part in today's summit, following a stop-over in Namibia.
“SA and Namibia are key trade partners for Europe and these discussions are set to deepen these ties further”, De Gucht said.
“With a shared vision and a pragmatic approach, we should be able to bring these talks to a successful conclusion in the not so distant future to the benefit of all sides.”
SA and Namibia were negotiating a regional comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU in the framework of the Southern African Development Community EPA Group, which also included Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique, the EU noted.
In 2009, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique signed an interim agreement with the EU while SA had a separate deal, the Trade and Development Co-operation Agreement (TDCA), with the EU.
The EU is Namibia's main export market (around 30% of total exports) outside Southern Africa. In 2010, Namibia exported EUR1.16 billion worth of goods to the EU, and imported EUR327 million worth of goods from the EU.
Most Namibian exports involve manufactured goods (52%), while chemicals account for 15%. Food and live animals account for 27%. Namibia's main agricultural exports to the EU are beef, grapes and fish.
In 2007 Namibia initialled the EU-SADC EPA Group interim EPA, but has not signed it so far. It was participating in negotiations with a view to reach a comprehensive regional agreement with the EU.
The EU is SA's largest trading partner. In 2010 the EU imported EUR18 billion worth of goods from SA while SA imported EUR21 billion worth of goods from the EU. Most imports from SA consist of manufactured goods (35%), machinery and transport equipment (19%) - whereas other regions in the world import mainly primary products from SA.
The EU added that at today's summit other issues would also be discussed such as global governance, climate change, trade, development issues, the Joint Africa-EU strategy, the SA-EU strategic partnership and peace and security topics in Africa.
The EU noted that a strong spirit of co-operation already existed between the EU and SA and had materialised through an impressive range of political, trade and economic matters, but also on issues such as science and technology, energy, migration and health.
The President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy said ahead of the meeting:
“I look forward to important discussions with President Zuma on peace and security and on global economic governance. SA is a valuable partner for the EU. Together, we can address global challenges such as climate change or food security.”
The President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso said that the summit had come at a crucial juncture, just ahead of decisive international meetings.
“As an important voice in the continent and in the world, SA is a key partner for the EU, and we want to deepen our engagement. I look forward in particular to discuss with President Zuma the upcoming G20 Summit in Cannes and the preparations for the Durban Climate Conference where the EU is committed to achieve a positive outcome for Europe, Africa and the world.” - I-Net Bridge