Cameroon is however poised to open its market in August to meet EPA obligations while negotiations at the sub-regional level continue.

The Committee in charge of the Follow-up of the Implementation of the Bilateral Economic Partnership Agreement Between Cameroon and the European Union has restated Cameroon’s resolve to trade freely with the European Union by August 4, 2016.

Meeting in Yaounde on May 6, 2016, in the 13th session, committee members said Cameroon could not wait for other countries who seemingly do not share the same interest.

“Our economy is diversified, with opportunities to go in for the EPA,” said the Secretary General in the Ministry of the Economy, Planning and Regional Development, Jean Tchoffo, who is President of the said committee. He expressed regret that negotaitions for a regional EPA between Cameroon, Chad, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe and the European Union were still shaky, with rules of origin to partly blame.

Understanding the geographical origin of goods is therefore the bone of contention at the regional level, with the negotiations underway for a level playing ground. The stakes are therefore high, with negotiations to continue.

He said countries that hitherto saw no reason in joining the agreement were gradually changing their minds. Jean Tchoffo disclosed that Douala will on June 17, 2016, host an important regional get-together.

“I hope at the end of the meeting, we will be able to say which other countries are part of negotiations with Cameroon, and that, they can go with us from the 4th of August,” said he.

The interim EU-Central Africa EPA was concluded on 17 December 2007. Cameroon concluded the same agreement same year. It was approved by the EU Parliament in 2013 and ratified by Cameroon in July 2014.

It provides duty-free, quota-free EU access for all goods from Cameroon and a gradual removal of duties and quotas over 15 years on 80 per cent of EU exports to Cameroon.

The ongoing negotiations for a comprehensive EPA between the EU and Central Africa hinge on rules and commitments on goods and rules of origin, services and investments, sustainable development, competition and trade facilitation.