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{
    "id": 201846,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/201846/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 138,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Dr. Kituyi",
    "speaker_title": "The Minister for Trade and Industry",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 293,
        "legal_name": "Mukhisa Kituyi",
        "slug": "mukhisa-kituyi"
    },
    "content": " Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Today, Kenya, with other members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, are negotiating a new regime of trade relationship between the European Union and themselves, at the expiry of the non- reciprocal preferential arrangement which has served us for the past 25 years. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the Agreement of Cotonou - that is the basis under which we are negotiating - we must complete an agreement by 31st December, this year. We have not completed. We are satisfied that we will not be able to complete everything in an acceptable way. But in order not to disrupt trade flows, we have agreed with the European Union that some key pillars of the new economic partnership agreement have to be completed before the end of December. Then we can sign non-interruption of current trade flows and complete other detailed work later. The pillars that have to be completed are:- One, the development issues, including commitment of secure determined resources in the European Development Fund (EDF) and other instruments. Number two, market access definition to keep the promise of the original mandate that nobody will have less market access in January next year than they had when we started negotiating EPA. There are some areas which have been rather difficult. But we have made very significant progress over the past two weeks at negotiations in Kigali, and at the Council Meeting of Ministers in three weeks in Djibouti. We hope to finish the most critical outstanding issues. 4250 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES October 2, 2007 The bit of problem that we have is the demand by the European Union for substantial market access opening and reduction of tariff from us upfront, come January next year. On the second question, I am aware that Europe is threatening lowered market access."
}