A review of the free-trade treaty between the European Union and South Africa is to top the agenda of a South Africa-EU troika ministerial meeting in Pretoria on Wednesday.
South Africa’s ambassador to the EU, Anil Sooklal, said it is hoped the mid-term review of the trade treaty could be finalised during the troika meeting.
”We are taking stock of our cooperation since we began the comprehensive cooperation with the EU and to see if we should revise some of the provisions of the agreement,” he told reporters in Pretoria.
The trade, development and cooperation agreement (TDCA) came into effect partly in 2000 and fully in 2004. It provides for free trade between the EU and South Africa, development aid and other issues such as trade and economic cooperation.
Europe is South Africa largest trading partner with two-way trade amounting to almost R300-billion. South Africa conducts almost 40% of foreign trade with EU member states.
Importantly, the EU is also South Africa’s largest development-aid partner, having allocated €1,5-billion since 1994. This will be one of the other important issues on the troika’s agenda, as the country strategy paper for 2007 to 2013 that regulates development aid will be finalised.
”The EU has given us a new allocation of €985-million over this period, which is a substantial allocation,” Sooklal said.
The EU delegation for the troika, which will be held for the first time outside Brussels, will include Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister Luis Amado; the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel; a representative from the office of Javier Solana, secretary general of the Council of the European Union; and a representative of Slovenia, the next country to hold the EU presidency.
Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will lead the South African delegation comprising several ministers. — Sapa