Keplotrade
Overview
Kenya, as part of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, entered into a trading arrangement with the European Union (EU) in 1975 under the Lome Convention. This arrangement came to an end in year 2000 amid challenges under the WTO system, since it was not compatible with the WTO rules.
In order to address the challenge, the EU states and ACP member countries signed the Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA) on the 23rd of June 2000. The CPA provided a vehicle for the establishment of WTO compatible trading arrangements, among other provisions. The vehicle took the form of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) to be negotiated between the EU and ACP regions, with the target of concluding negotiations by end of December 2007, and the new arrangements to be in force starting January 2008.
To support the process of the negotiations, Kenya, with the support of the EU, established the Kenya-EU Post Lome Trade Negotiations Support Programme (KEPLOTRADE).
Objectives- KEPLOTRADE aims at facilitating the preparation of Kenya’s negotiating positions within the regional arrangement to be taken up in regional negotiations with EU towards signing the EPAs.
- The overall objective of the programme is to promote and contribute to the timely establishment of a beneficial EPA.
- KEPLOTRADE brings together stakeholders from Kenya’s public and private sector, and non-state actors in order to build an informed and well-consulted negotiating position for the country, taking into account the country’s objectives both in short and long-term.
KEPLOTRADE is domiciled in the Ministry in charge of trade (currently the Office of Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Trade), with its full secretariat at the Ministry offices and receiving financial support from both the Government of Kenya and the European Union.
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