Brussels, 3 March 2016/ ACP: The Ambassador Mozambique to the European Union, H.E Mrs. Ana Nemba Uaiene (pictured, seated) signed the Joint Undertaking on Administrative Cooperation for the Implementation of Cumulation Provisions contained in the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) signed between ACP regions/countries and the EU, at the ACP headquarters on 2 March 2016.

With the signature, Mozambique will be party to the implementation of cumulation provisions amongst countries that have signed Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with the EU.

The Joint Undertaking also allows cumulation provisions between EPA signatory states and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) of the EU, as well as with other non-signatory ACP countries benefitting from duty-free quota-free access into the EU.

Signing the agreement will establish an enabling environment for trade amongst all the ACP EPA signatory parties.

The Joint Undertaking will also empower the various customs administrations of the ACP EPA signatory parties and OCTs to interact with one another and put in place systems that would enable them to import materials from one another, do further processing and export the final product to the EU under preferential conditions. Moreover, the document may serve as a template for similar agreements to be negotiated on a bilateral basis by ACP countries/regions with certain non-ACP countries.

African, Caribbean and Pacific Member States which are not parties to an EPA but still benefit from duty-free quota-free access to the EU may also sign the Joint Undertaking.

– ACP Press