Southern Africa: EU and SADC to create a FTA

The EU and a group of SADC countries have started negotiations to establish a free trade area between the two regions. It is hoped that the agreement will be ready for implementation by January 2008. South Africa, although the richest member of SADC, is excluded from the talks because she already has a free trade accord with the EU, signed in 1999. The EU is also negotiating an economic partnership agreement with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).