A joint communique from the first meeting of the Joint Council of the European Union (EU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), held in Cape Town, has described it as successful.

The meeting held on Tuesday was co-chaired by Botswana minister of investment, trade and industry Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, and EU Trade Commissioner, Cecilia Malmström.

Malmström was accompanied by Maria Magdalena Grigore, State Secretary for Development Cooperation of Romania and representing the Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The SADC EPA States were represented by Senator Manqoba Khumalo, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade of the Kingdom of Eswatini; Tjekero Tweya, Minister of Industrialisation, Trade and SME Development of Namibia; Ragendra Berta de Sousa, Mozambican Minister of Trade, and Rob Davies, Minister of Trade and Industry of the Republic of South Africa and a Senior representative from the Kingdom of Lesotho.  

Several representatives from EU Member States were also present. 

The Joint Council's inaugural meeting took place just over two years after the start of the provisional application of the EU-SADC EPA on 12 October 2016 and took note of its mandate to provide political oversight of the implementation of the agreement.

"The Joint Council endorsed the adoption by the Trade and Development Committee of a list of arbitrators. The adoption of these instruments completes the necessary institutional arrangements to enable full implementation of the EPA," said the communique.

"The Joint Council welcomed the positive impact of the EPA on trade flows on both sides. The Joint Council agreed that in order to promote two-way trade and at the same time address certain concerns, there was a need to enhance cooperation on sanitary and phytosanitary measures and other aspects including safeguard measures relating to the implementation of the EPA."

"To fully benefit from the EPA, the Joint Council recognised the need for investment, increased manufacturing capacity, sustainable employment and diversified exports.  

"The role of the EU's development instruments in supporting those objectives was acknowledged and attention was drawn to new opportunities offered within the framework of the Africa Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs."