The economic partnership agreements (EPAs) in the Indian Ocean

The Faculty of Law and Economics at the University of Reunion Island will host an International Conference on the new EU’s trade policy with ACP countries. This conference is organized by the Center for Economics and Management of the Indian Ocean (CEMOI) with the support of the Observatory of Indian Ocean Societies (OSOI), the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the Région Réunion and The International Relations Office of the University of Reunion Island. The overall theme is : « The Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) in the Indian Ocean ». The theme is significant and timely from both the research and policy perspectives.

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VIDEOS CONFERENCE

Conference Program on the EPAs in the Indian Ocean

Program (open to the public)

Amphi D2, Faculty of Law and Economics, University of Reunion Island (Moufia)

Keynote speakers

The Conference organisers are delighted to welcome:

 Emeritus Prof. Jaime De Melo (University of Geneva & FERDI)

Jaime de Melo is Scientific Director of La Fondation pour les Études et Recherches sur le Développement International (FERDI). He is professor emeritus from the University of Geneva and Academic Director at the Geneva Business School. He is also a CEPR fellow, a non-resident fellow at Brookings Institution, and a member of EU-GDN. He has advised governments on trade policies and during WTO litigations and has  consulted for the AfDB, the European Commission, the IMF, USAID, the World Bank, and participated in several projects with the LSE. A founding member of the World Trade Institute, he has held several editorial positions and was editor-in-chief of the World Bank Economic Review, 2005-2010.

Emeritus Prof. Daniel Dormoy (University of Paris-Sud/Paris-Saclay)

Daniel Dormoy is founder and former President of the Réseau francophone de droit international (Rfdi), Professor at the CEDS, EHEI, at the FACO and Isit and member of the Jean Monnet Chair in European Union Law. He is specialized in public international law (North-South relations) and European Union law.

Trudi Hartzenberg (Trade Law Centre)

Trudi Hartzenberg is the Executive Director of the Trade Law Centre for Southern Africa (TRALAC). She has a special interest in trade-related capacity building.  Her research areas include trade policy issues, regional integration, investment, industrial and competition policy.

 

Conference objectives

Former colonial power and first commercial power in the world, the European Union (EU) has a privileged place in the Indian Ocean  even if it is down sharply over the recent period. For instance, the EU accounted for almost 40% of total exports of these economies in 1995 against less than 25% in 2016. Within the EU foreign economic policy, the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are the cornerstone of the new trade strategy between ACP countries and the EU. Since 2007, they have replaced the Lomé and Cotonou agreements which were unilateral and non-reciprocal since the independence of former colonies. In compliance with the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles, these free trade agreements must allow to sustainably develop the economy and improve the standard of living of concerned countries. For all that, even if the EPAs grant new opportunities in terms of economic integration and cooperation it should be noted that there are some concerns in a specific context (Brexit, expansion of emerging countries, geopolitical instability ...). The objective of this international conference is twofold : (i) analyze the EPAs in the Indian Ocean by paying particular attention to regional specificities ; (ii) take into account of the experience of the other ACP countries with these new trade agreements. 
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