The Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the European Union (EU) and respective African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries are regional agreements aimed at promoting trade and development between the EU and ACP partner regions, including through provision of reciprocal trade preferences.

Negotiations on the EPAs have been a long and drawn out process, dating back to the year 2000, but are now gradually drawing to a close. This is particularly the case in the African region, where a number of configurations have made progress towards conclusion of full EPAs since June 2014.

This trade brief presents the legal framework of the EPA process as it has developed over the past few years, the current state of play with regard to African configurations, and a few challenges that have been encountered in preserving duty free and quota free access by some African countries to the EU market.

Readers are encouraged to quote and reproduce this material for educational, non-profit purposes, provided the source is acknowledged. All views and opinions expressed remain solely those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of tralac.