1. 7TH CAMEF, ABUJA - NIGERIA: 27 March 2014
AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION Department of Trade and Industry By Hussein Hassan Hussein Head of Industry –AUC Boosting Intra-Africa trade (BIAT) and The Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA)
7TH CAMEF, ABUJA - NIGERIA: 27 March 2014

2. Background
The January 2012 AU Summit adopted, during its 18TH Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, a decision to establish a Pan - African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) by the indicative date of 2017.
It also endorsed an Action Plan for Boosting Intra-Africa Trade (BIAT). This Action Plan contains seven major clusters aimed at Africa’s sustainable economic growth and development.

3. BIAT Clusters Trade Policy Trade Facilitation Productive Capacity
Trade-Related Infrastructure
Trade Finance
Trade Information and
Factor Market Integration

4. CFTA Road Map
Completion Regional FTA Processes by TFTA (COMESA-EAC-SADC)
Consolidation of regional processes into the CFTA between 2015 and 2016 with no roll back on the Acquis
Establishment of the CFTA by indicative date 2017

5. CFTA Architecture AU Summit (Commission)
High Level African Trade Committee
Heads of State and Chairs of RECs
Dispute Settlement
Conference of Ministers of Trade (STCs )
Customs Technical Committee
CFTA Negotiations Forum
African Trade Forum, African Business Council, African Trade Observatory and Monitoring and Evaluation Mechanism

6. CFTA Architecture 1. Operationalization of the CFTA Architecture
Trade Observatory , African Business Council, Africa Trade Forum, Customs Technical Committee
Continental Task Force
CFTA-Negotiating Forum
2. Preparation of the CFTA documents
Negotiating Principles, TOR and ROP for the CFTA-NF, CFTA Agreement & Annexes

7. Progress to Date
During the 2012 African Conference of African Ministers of Trade (CAMoT), Ministers directed that further consultations be undertaken to Consider the BIAT Draft Implementation Strategy.
Consultations have been undertaken in all the eight RECs and Member States.
First Meeting of the Continental Task Force on the CFTA held October 2013 to Consider and Adopt Terms of Reference of the Continental Free Trade Area Task Force (CTF) - COMESA, ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD and SADC and UNECA and AfDB participated
Senior Officials and Extra-Ordinary CAMoT – April

8. Progress to Date
Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TTNF) In Uganda in October 2013
Tripartite Negotiating Forum (TTNF) In Namibia in February 2014
an agreement by the 3 RECs will be signed by June 2014, paving the way for the launch of the FTA.
AU Summit, Addis Ababa – January 2014
HATC Meeting and Decisions
COMESA Summit: February, Kinshasa
COMESA Business Forum – Egypt: April 2014

9. Meeting of the CTF on CFTA held 17-18 October 2013 Discussed:
Consideration and Adoption of Terms of Reference, Rules of Procedure of the CTF 
Technical issues on CFTA Negotiations
Operationalizing the CFTA-Negotiating Forum
Consideration of the BIAT Draft Implementation Strategy
Pre-negotiations Stakeholder Engagement Strategy for the CFTA
Resource Mobilization and Work Program of the CTF on the CFTA

10. Technical Issues Discussed
Tariff phase down, trade remedies, non-tariff barriers, sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, dispute settlement, institutional arrangements, adjustment cost mechanisms.
Customs procedures and processes, customs cooperation, harmonisation and simplification of the procedures and documentation, rules of origin, trade facilitation, and transit procedures among others

11. Next Steps
Launch CFTA Negotiations in mid Stakeholder Engagement Activities
Regional Private Sector Dialogue on the CFTA
Workshops for Parliamentarians and Civil Society ,etc
Capacity Building
MS, RECs
Current Work –Supported by UNECA

12. Next Steps
The preparation of key draft documents for consultations by stakeholders:
Draft Negotiating Principles and Terms of Reference for the CFTA-NF
Draft Declaration Launching the Negotiations
The Draft CFTA Agreement and its annexes.
 In addition, technical studies and analytical work to support policy makers in developing positions for the negotiations and to inform the national and regional consultations

13. Next Steps
Review of previous studies on the continental CFTA including studies by UNECA, UNDP etc.
Perceived Impact Assessments for each member state and AU.
Studies on the cost of not having a Continental FTA
Empirical studies and situational analysis of existing Africa FTAs to highlight best practices and benefits
Sectoral Studies to simulate and identify potential revenue loss and propose possible compensatory policy adjustments
Country level Studies for member states on intra Africa trade flows to identify key products and issues of interest for each country
Trade in Services Studies to identify potential gains and priority sectors for negotiations

14. DTI Work Plan (2014 – 2017)
Aligned to the 2014 – 2017 AUC Strategic Plan
Outcome 2: Expand Agricultural production…developing the Agro-processing and businesses sectors, increase market access and … promotion of smallholder agriculture, sound environment and natural resource management, including climate change; and;
Outcome 3: Infrastructure development and environment for inclusive economic development industrialization, private sector-led intra-African Trade and sustainable utilization of natural resources created.

15. DTI Work Plan 2014 - 2015 Regional Consultative Meetings
Capacity building on the CFTA
Stakeholder engagement Workshops
Co-ordinate and Implement the Work Programme on Commodities/African Commodities Strategy
Trade in Services and other TRIs

16. DTI Work Plan
Operationalization of the African Business Council and the Trade Observatory
Coordinate and Monitor the implementation of the BIAT Action Plan
Develop Common Positions on WTO and other negotiations including EPAs
Coordinate Trade and Investment Components of Partnership

17. 7TH CAMEF Discussion Points
Complementary policy issues:
Investment and Services
Implementation of the BIAT/CFTA – how far will we be?
Industrial development – RVCs (Agriculture)
infrastructure development
How the CFTA affects regional processes
Movement of natural persons, Trade facilitation, export taxes, NTBs, RoO, Standards, TBT

18. Expected Results from 7TH CAMEF
A clear Plan of Action (PoA) for Africa’s BIAT Implementation and CFTA Negotiations
Experts from MS/RECs should be organised specifically towards the preparation of the draft key documents.
SUPPORT AU target for the completion of the draft documents and studies towards the 2014 CAMoT (October 2014)
develop a work plan based on 7TH CAMEF recommendations
HATC (CHAMPIONS) requested to operationalize and implement the PoA

19. Thank You