EC/Pacific States Interim Partnership Agreement: accession of Solomon Islands

The European Parliament adopted by 534 votes to 45, with 13 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the accession of Solomon Islands 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, the European Parliament gave its consent to the accession of Solomon Islands to the Agreement.

The EPA is a development-oriented trade agreement, which offers asymmetric market access to Solomon Islands 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 Solomon Islands' exports into the EU and provisions on sustainable development.