By Sylvia Juuko

UGANDA will not immediately allow duty-free European Union (EU) products when trade deals being negotiated take effect on January 1, 2008, the EU’s trade director has said.

“There has been concern that countries will suffer from tariff cuts. Implementation of the agreements does not mean that either Uganda or Africa will cut tariffs on goods from Europe immediately,” Peter Thompson said.

This assurance follows concerns that the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) being negotiated between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries will allow EU products to out compete those of developing countries.
Thompson was addressing reporters via a video conference at the EU’s offices in Kampala last week.

“We need to ensure that implementation is done in a sensitive phased way, which will lead to a profiled market access that is compatible with the country’s development level and done in conformity with the World Trade Organisation’s rules,” he stated.

The EU is negotiating EPAs aimed at putting in place a timetable for progressive removal of barriers between Europe and 77 ACP countries.
EPAs are aimed at strengthening integration between the EU and ACP and promoting economic liberalisation.

The EU official noted that the diverse economic groupings in eastern and southern Africa are slowing negotiations.
“We are ready to work with the members of the region in a way they wish. The challenge is to find a common view from this region. Once that becomes clear, it is possible to intensify the negotiations,” Thompson said.

The region has several trade blocks that are in various stages of economic integration.

These include the East African Community, Common market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and South African Development Community.

However, the EU official was confident that the work undertaken by COMESA regarding negotiators drafting the text would push the negotiations forward.