Entry into force: 2009
Accession: 2018
The EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states signed a Partnership Agreement known as the Cotonou Agreement in 2000. This overarching framework agreement has governed relations in the last 20 years, for 27 EU members’ states and 79 ACP Pacific states. Article 36 of the Cotonou Agreement, called for new WTO-compatible Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), to be negotiated. The EPAs are to be development instruments, aimed to foster the smooth and gradual integration of the ACP States into the world economy, especially by making full use of the potential of regional integration and South–South trade. The EPAs will progressively remove barriers to trade between parties and enhance cooperation in all areas relevant to trade.
EPA negotiations were conducted with 4 African regions, one for the Caribbean and one for the Pacific. In 2004, the Pacific ACP and the EU started negotiations of a Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). In 2009, while EPA negotiations were ongoing, the EU, Fiji and PNG negotiated and signed an Interim EPA (EU-Pacific IEPA) to secure market access for sugar and canned fish to the EU. Between 2011 and 2016, there was no progress in negotiations of the EPA, mainly due to the lack of agreement on fisheries conservation and management measures. As such, both parties agreed to suspend negotiations
In December 2018, Samoa acceded to the EU-Pacific IEPA to secure duty free access of exports to the EU following the expiration of preferences for Samoa under the EU’s Everything But Arms (EBAs) scheme for Least Developed Countries (LDC).
Solomon Islands acceded to the agreement in May 2020 while Tonga has expressed interest to accede.
Legal text of the Agreement
European Council Decision of 13 July 2009 on the provisional application of the IEPA
European Council Decision of 6 December 2018 on the accession of Samoa to the IEPA
