EC/Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement: accession of Samoa

The European Parliament adopted by 504 votes to 117, with 11 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the accession of Samoa to the Interim Partnership Agreement between the European Community, of the one part, and the Pacific States, of the other part.

Following the recommendation of its Committee on International Trade and the opinion of the Committee on Development, the European Parliament gave its consent to Samoa's accession to the Agreement.

The Economic Partnership Agreement is a development-oriented trade agreement, which offers asymmetric market access to Samoa and allows it to shield sensitive sectors from liberalisation, while providing a large number of safeguards and a clause for infant industry protection. It further contains provisions on the rules of origin that facilitate Samoa's exports into the EU.

The Agreement contains provisions on Sustainable Development (Article 3), whereby the Parties reaffirm that the objective of sustainable development must be an integral part of the provisions of this Agreement, consistent with the overarching objectives and principles set out in Cotonou Agreement.