Rules of Origin in EU-West African Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)

This paper provides a broad contour exante analysis of the rules of origin (RoO) in the EU-West African Economic Partnership Agreement (EU-WA EPA) negotiations. It c:ontextualises the significance of’ rules of origin for utilising opportunities of increased market increase access offered by the generalised system of trade preferences (GSPs). Analysis of the similarities and differences of the salient features of the rules of origin of various free trade areas is used to build scenarios regarding the likely request and offers between the EU and West Africa concerning the type complexity and restrictiveness of the rules of origin regime in the planned agreement. The paper concludes that the framework for negotiating RoO should ensure systematic approach that preclude complex and and difficult to administer rules, as well as permit consistent and unambiguous rules to bring about increased effective market access through full cumulation which allows West African countries the maximum flexibility in sourcing their inputs and components to engender profound sub regional integration in line with EPA objective.