The EU and four Eastern and Southern Africa states — Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles — have concluded negotiations on a modernised Economic Partnership Agreement.
Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič took part in the conclusion ceremony by videoconference in Mauritius, the European Commission announced on Wednesday.
The agreement remains open for other countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa group to join.
The deal expands beyond trade in goods to cover areas such as services, investment and digital trade.
It includes provisions on public procurement information for businesses, rules on intellectual property, and a commitment not to apply customs duties on electronic transmissions.
The agreement will also protect 135 EU Geographical Indications in Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles after a transition period.
Geographical Indications are legal protections for regional food and drink names linked to where products are made.
Trade, sustainability and what happens next
The text includes a dedicated Trade and Sustainable Development chapter with “binding and enforceable commitments”, covering labour rights, environmental and climate protection, gender equality and responsible business conduct, the Commission said.
The Paris Climate Agreement is described as an “essential element” of the deal.
An agricultural partnership will be set up to support dialogue on more sustainable agri-food value chains.
The draft texts will be published shortly on the EU side before internal procedures and proposals for approval by EU institutions.
The agreement would require approval by the Council of the EU and consent from the European Parliament before it can enter into force, it added, while the parties may decide to apply it provisionally in the meantime.
The EU was the largest trading partner of the four countries, accounting for 24% of their total trade in goods and 33% of their total trade in services.
Total trade in goods and services between the EU and the four states reached €9.7 billion in 2024, comprising €5.2 billion in EU imports and €4.5 billion in EU exports.
