The European Union and six countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have signed an economic partnership agreement (EPA), the first of its kind between the EU and an African region pursuing economic integration.

“With the EPA that we are signing today, we want to base our trade relations with our partners in the southern African region on commonly agreed, stable rules,” said Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström, who signed the agreement on behalf of the EU in Botswana on Friday. “Trade has helped lift millions of people from poverty throughout the years. Thanks to agreements like this one, we are preparing the ground for that process to continue.”

The agreement guarantees Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, and Swaziland duty-free, quota-free access to the European market. South Africa will also benefit from enhanced market access, going beyond the existing bilateral arrangement.

It’s the first agreement eliminating the possibility for the EU to use agricultural export subsidies. Under the SADC EPA, the EU will guarantee 100% free access to its market. The EU has also fully or partially removed customs duties on 98.7% of imports coming from South Africa. The EPA has a number of safeguards in place.

Imports of certain goods are important for southern African countries – certain industrial parts, seeds and machinery, for instance. The import duties on many of these so-called intermediary goods will be significantly reduced, making the products more easily accessible to southern African entrepreneurs.

For the South African market specifically, particular advantage has been granted to EU producers of traditional quality products with a worldwide reputation – for example wines and food products – that will now get the exclusive right to use their traditional names, or geographical indications, in South Africa.