Activating Benefits For The Epa Agriculture

ACTIVATING BENEFITS OF THE EPA - AGRICULTURELEARN HOW THE EPA CAN WORK FOR YOU

Vincent J. Atkins, CRNM

What’s The Deal for Agriculture?

The EPA :

preserves Cotonou preferences for agricultural products.

Provides additional market access for products which did not enjoy duty free – quota free entry into the EC – sugar, rice, meat, most fruits and vegetables, processed foods.

What’s the Deal ?

Most sensitive agricultural products protected – list of products excluded from tariff liberalisation covering 75 % of agricultural imports from the EC.

Sensitive products subject to liberalisation over extensive periods of 10 years or more.

What’s the Deal ?

Provides for safeguard measures which takes into account the peculiarities of agricultural markets and trade.

Development assistance and co-operation.

Enhanced rules of origin with respect to Cumulation – benefits biscuits and bakery products, jams and jellies, fruit juices and other beverages.

Food Security

Acknowledgment that removal of barriers may pose challenges to CARIFORUM producers in agricultural, food and fisheries sectors.

Allowance made for the use of appropriate measures , including use of the safeguard measures in Article 25, where difficulties arise as a result of implementation of the agreement.

Market Access Opportunities

Duty free- quota free (DFQF) for all agricultural products except rice and sugar from entry into force of Agreement.

Rice to enter DFQF from 1 January 2010. Tariff quota at zero rate of duty for 187, 000 tonnes of rice permitted in 2008 and 250, 000 in 2009.

Market Access Opportunities

Sugar to enter DFQF from 1 October 2009.

‘Sugar Protocol’ which determined formula for price and country supply allocations remain in force until September 30, 2009.

Additional allocation of 60, 000 tonnes of sugar for 2008/09 marketing year.

Bananas to enter duty-free quota free from date of entry into force of EPA.

Basic Rules of Origin

Products must be either wholly obtained or sufficiently worked or processed consistent with conditions stated in Protocol 1.

Where the rules state that non-originating materials may not be used, such materials may be used if their total value is less than 15% of value of ex-works price of the product and/or percentages in list not exceeded.

Exhaustive list of operations which are considered insufficient working or processing.

Basic Rules of Origin

Materials originating in the EC, OCTs or in other ACP States shall qualify as materials originating in CARIFORUM States when incorporated into a product obtained there.

At the request of CARIFORUM States, materials originating in neighbouring developing countries shall be considered as originating in a CARIFORUM State when incorporated in a product obtained there.

Limitation on Cumulation

Rules permitting cumulation may not apply to products in Annex X until 2015, mainly: cane or beet sugar and chemically pure sucrose.Sugar confectionary, with some exceptions.Cocoa powder with specified sugar content.Food preparations containing cocoa or sugar in

specified amounts.Coffee or tea preparations with some exceptions.List of products from South Africa excluded.

Wholly obtained Agricultural Products

fruit and vegetables harvested there.Live animals born and raised there.Products from live animals raised there.Products obtained by hunting or fishing

conducted there; products of aquaculture , including mariculture, where the fish are born and raised there.

Products of sea fishing taken by EC/CARI vessels.

Sufficiently worked or processed Agricultural Products.

Refer to presentation on manufacturing for treatment of specific products in the rules of origin-

Development Co-operation

• Improvement in the competitiveness of potentially viable production: downstream processing; innovation, training, promotion of linkages;

• Development of export marketing capabilities: market research; identification of options for the improvement of marketing infrastructure and transportation, and the identification of financing and cooperation options for producers and traders;

Development Co-operation

• Compliance with/ adoption of quality standards relating to food production and marketing: standards relating to environmentally and socially sound agricultural practices and organic and non-genetically modified foods;

• Promotion of private investment and public-private partnerships in potentially viable production;

• Improvement in ability of CARIFORUM operators to comply with national, regional and international technical, health and quality standards for fish and fish products;

ACTIVATING EPA BENEFITS IN AGRICULTURE

BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE AGREEMENT INCLUDING THE RULES OF ORIGIN FOR AGRICULTURAL AND FISHERIES PRODUCTS.

ARTICULATE DEMAND FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ESPECIALLY IN THE AREAS IDENTIFIED FOR CO-OPERATION IN AGRICULTURE (article 43)

ACTIVATING EPA BENEFITS IN AGRICULTURE

UTILISE OPPORTUNITIES PROVIDED FROM PROVISION ON CUMULATION FROM EC, ACP AND NEIGBOURING COUNTRIES.

SEEK TECHNICAL/DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE TO MEET EC MARKET REQUIREMENTS: STANDARDS, TECHNICAL REGULATIONS, FOOD SAFETY REGULATIONS.

ACTIVATING EPA BENEFITS IN AGRICULTURE

FOCUS ON DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING COMPETITIVENESS ON DOMESTIC, REGIONAL AND EXTERNAL MARKETS – BASED ON COST, EFFICIENCIES, QUALITY, MARKETING ETC.

DO NOT BE LULLED INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY BY PROVISIONS PERTAINING TO EXCLUSIONS OR EXTENDED TIMEFRAMES FOR TARIFF REDUCTION. TARIFF MAY NOT BE THE MOST CRITICAL BARRIER.

ACTIVATING EPA BENEFITS IN AGRICULTURE

Become familiar with the SPS and TBT Competent Authorities. They provide the relevant information about standards, regulations and other requirements for specific products.