WT/REG258/2  
20 February  2018 
(18-0453) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements  Original:  English/French  
 
  
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGRE EMENT BETWEEN CÔTE D'IVOIRE  
AND THE EUROPEAN  UNION (GOODS)  
QUESTIONS AND REPLIES  
 The following communication, dated 9 February  2018, is being circulated at the request of 
the delegations of Côte d'Ivoire and the European Union . 
 
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Question from the delegation of Canada  
 
1.1.  Paragraph 4.22 in Section 4.8 on Government procurement states that the Parties 
have agreed to coope rate and negotiate a global EPA in accordance with the relevant 
WTO provisions between the EU and West Africa, including government procurement 
provisions.  
 Has a date been identified to launch these negotiations?  
 
Reply from the European Union and Côte d 'Ivoire  
 
 Article  44, known as the "rendez -vous clause", lists a  number of complementary areas that 
could be subject to  negotiations  in the medium term with a view to concluding a global EPA . 
The areas concerned are the following : (a) trade in services and  e-commerce ; (b) investments ; 
(c) current payments and capital movements ; (d) competition ; (e) intellectual property ; (f) public 
procurement ; (g) sustainable development ; and (h) the protection of personal data . To date , the 
parties have made no plans to e nter into negotiations on these issues.  
 
Questions from the delegation of Thailand  
 
Liberalization of trade and tariff lines  
 
1.2.  Paragraph 3.7 : The Parties also agreed on a standstill with respect to new customs 
duties on imports or increased customs duties from the date of entry into force of the 
Agreement (Article  15). Côte d 'Ivoire however had the right, until 3 1 December  2011, 
to revise its basic customs duties on good originating in the EU, as part of the 
finalization of the common external tariff (CET) of the Economic Community of West 
African States (ECOWAS), insofar as the general impact of these duties was no higher 
than that resulting from the duties specified in Annex 2 of the Agreement . The ECOWAS 
CET entered into force on 1 January  2015 and led to  a change in tariff of 612 lines with 
respect to the CET of the West African Economic and Moneta ry Union (WAEMU), 
with 251 lines revised upwards and 361 downwards . The Parties are therefore currently 
engaged in an updating process, in conformity with Artic le 15, to take account of the 
implementation of the ECOWAS CET . The Parties note that this work has not yet been 
finalized . 
 When is the due date for the updating process as a result of the implementation of 
the ECOWAS CET?  
 WT/REG258/2  
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  Reply from the European Union a nd Côte d 'Ivoire  
 
 The ECOWAS CET, in effect since 1 January  2015, has a five -year transition  period , which 
allows for  all ECOWAS countries to properly apply the new tariff . Within this period, the parties 
may finalize the updating of the effective tariffs  in place . 
 
 If there is a change to the ECOWAS CET in the future, would there be any impact 
on this Agreement?  
 
Reply from the European Union and Côte d 'Ivoire  
 
 The ECOWAS CET, in effect since 2015, is not yet applied by all ECOWAS countries . The 
process  whereby tariffs may be modified is not yet in place . Beyond the five -year transition period, 
the market access offer under  the interim EPA  will no longer be updated on the basis of changes to 
the ECOWAS CET . 
 
Questions from the delegation of the United St ates 
 
1.3.  According to paragraph 3.16  of the Factual Presentation, Cô te d'Ivoire will 
eliminate duties on a rang e of imports from the EU . Can Cô te d'Ivoire explain the 
relationship between its tariff schedule with the EU and the one it is applying under the 
ECOWAS C ommon External Tariff?  Did Cô te d'Ivoire need permission from other 
ECOWAS members to implement its schedule with respect to the EU?  
Reply from  Côte d'Ivoire  
 
 Côte d'Ivoire, as a n ECOWAS  member, applies the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET), 
which has been in effect since 1 January  2015. The commitments undertaken by Côte d 'Ivoire 
under the Partnership Agreement with the European Union also remain firm and will be 
implemented . Côte d 'Ivoire has negotiated the interim EPA in consultation with , and with the 
support of , the ECOWAS and WAEMU Commissions, which are regularly informed about its 
implementation . 
 
1.4.  In the EU -Côte d'Ivoire EPA, did the Parties address how the bilateral tariff 
schedule would be applied in the event that an EU -ECOWAS EPA enter s into force?  Have 
the Parties agreed which schedule would be applicable?  
Reply from the European Union and Côte d'Ivoire  
 
 The Côte d'Ivoire EPA contains a clause under which the interim EPA will eventually be 
replaced by the regional EPA when the latter enters into force . This clause appears in Article 75.8 : 
"This Agreement shall be superseded by a global EPA concluded at regional level with the EC Party 
on the date of its entry into force. " 
 
1.5.  What impact does Cô te d'Ivoire anticipate the EPA will have on its common trade 
regime under ECOWAS pending the entry into force of an EU -ECOWAS EPA?  
 The Côte d'Ivoire -EU EPA has specific objectives, including to strengthen and promote 
regional integration . It must be implemented in this context , and measures must be  agreed, in 
particular between Côte d'Ivoire and ECOWAS, in order to prevent any  impact on regional trade in 
certain products manufactured in Côte d'Ivoire.  
 
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