Assembly/AU/Dec.197(XI) Page 1 DECISION ON THE REPORT ON NEGOTIATIONS OF ECONOMIC PARTNESHIP AGREEMENTS (EPAs) DOC. EX.CL/422(XIII) The Assembly: 1. TAKES NOTE of the progress report of the Commission on the Negotiations of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs); 2. ENDORSES the Declaration on the EPA Negotiations adopted by the Joint Conference of AU Ministers of Trade and Finance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in April 2008; 3. REQUESTS Member States that have had to initial individual Interim EPAs to avoid disruption of their trade with the European Union (EU) after the 31st of December 2007 deadline, to pursue and finalize within their Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Groupings the negotiation and conclusion of full and comprehensive EPAs; 4. FURTHER REQUESTS the Member States concerned to ensure that the contentious issues in the Interim EPAs that have been identified by the AU Ministers of Trade and Finance are adequately addressed in the negotiations of full and comprehensive EPAs; 5. URGES the European Commission not to put pressure on African Governments to ratify the Interim Agreements without taking into account the concerns raised on the contentious issues; 6. INVITES the European Commission to honour the commitment made by the Council in Brussels on 27 May 2008 to make EPAs an instrument for the promotion of development, support to regional integration, and gradual integration of African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of States in the world economy, and URGES the European Commission to fully reflect this commitment in the negotiation and conclusion of full and comprehensive EPAs; 7. REQUESTS the AU Commission , in collaboration with the United Nations Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the RECs, to accelerate the elaboration of a full EPA template to be used as a guideline by all African countries / groups negotiating full EPAs; 8. URGES the European Union to consider providing an alternative trading arrangement, that is World Trade Organisation (WTO) – compatible but not less favourable than the Lome/Cotonou trading regime, to African countries/groups that have not initialled Interim EPAs and may not be in a position to conclude full EPAs;