(Business in Cameroon) - The interim economic partnership agreement (EPA) signed on 15 January 2009 between Cameroon and the European Union, then ratified by the Cameroonian Parliament during its June 2014 ordinary session, takes effect from this 4 August 2016.

According to a communiqué signed to this intent on 28 July 2016 by the European Commission, this agreement “makes provision for duty-free and quota-free access to the EU market for exports originating from Cameroon. On its part, Cameroon will gradually open its market to European exports over a transition period scheduled to last until 2023”.

On 2 August, reacting to the idea spread in the general public that the tariff dismantling for products coming from the EU will be applied im Cameroon from this 4 August 2016, Jean Tchoffo, President of the Committee in charge of monitoring the implementation of the Cameroon -EU bilateral Economic Partnership Agreement, wants to reassure the population: “the tariff dismantling by Cameroon will only be possible after the publication of a text on the origin rules to be applied on products imported from the European Union”, he specified.

After reminding that the Agreement makes provision for a “gradual and per type of products” tariff dismantling, Jean Tchoffo highlights that in the case of “(European, Ed.) products in the first group in particular, the applicable reduction rate (of custom taxes, Ed.) will be 25% per year over a four (04) year period. In consequence, no product in this group will benefit from a total exemption of customs fees before the end of this period”.

According to the European Commission, this interim agreement with Cameroon is open to the other Central African countries (Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tomé y Principe, Chad) who wish to be included.

In a sort of response to this invitation from the European Union, the CEMAC countries (except Cameroon) rather pleaded for the signature of a “complete, just and balanced economic partnership agreement” for all the countries of this community. This was during the CEMAC heads of States conference organised on 30 July in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

Brice R. Mbodiam