EU-Kenya Joint Communiqué

Today marks the conclusion of negotiations on the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement in Nairobi by European Commission Executive Vice-President and EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Cabinet Secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, Hon. Moses Kuria, HSC, in the presence of His Excellency Dr. William Samoei Ruto, CGH, President of the Republic of Kenya.

This Agreement marks a major step forward in the trade and investment relations between the EU and Kenya. It aims to implement bilaterally the provisions of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and the East African Community (EAC) Partner States, on which negotiations were finalised in 2014. It follows a decision by the East African Community Heads of State Summit on 27^th February 2021. The EU-Kenya Agreement will remain open to accession of the EAC Partner States.

The Agreement is a key deliverable of the EU-Kenya Strategic Dialogue and will be directly supported by the implementation of the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package announced at the 6^th EU-AU Summit in February 2022. It will facilitate trade and investment, accompanied by trade-related development cooperation, with a view to further deepen the economic ties between the EU and Kenya, boost sustainable economic growth and job creation. It will provide new opportunities for Kenyan and European businesses, including Micro-, Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises.

The Agreement will also advance shared values and common interests, in particular on sustainability. It will directly contribute to the objectives of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union Agenda 2063, and support the green and digital transitions in both partners. Both sides took firm commitments to combine sustainable growth and the creation of decent jobs with environmental conservation and climate resilience. They confirmed that democratic governance, peace, security and human development - with a focus on women and youth - are important aspects of this partnership and sustainable development.

Executive Vice-President and EU Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, said:

"Kenya is one of our most important partners on the African continent. Today, we welcome taking our economic partnership to the next level. With this agreement, we are establishing a deepened relationship between us and creating new opportunities for our businesses that will increase trade and investment. This will create decent jobs and economic growth. This Agreement takes into account our different stages of development. Kenya’s exports to the EU will be tariff-free from day one, while tariffs on EU exports will be liberalised over time and not on all products. This agreement reflects our shared ambition to underpin our economic relations with strong protection of the environment and climate, labour rights and gender equality. We will work together with Kenya to meet global sustainability challenges and offer our support in this regard. We look forward to the entry into force of this agreement as soon as possible so that we can fully reap the untapped potential of our economic and political partnership."

Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, Hon. Moses Kuria said:

“The EU remains one of Kenya’s most important trading Partners, absorbing more than a fifth of our global exports. The EPA underlines the shared ambition of Kenya and the EU to upgrade and strengthen their trade, investment and economic ties. This agreement, which provides duty-free-quota-free market access for exports and certainty in the trading regime, will enable the private sector to trade and invest with confidence and expand employment opportunities for Kenyan youth and support livelihoods. Further, the agreement reflects our shared commitment to trade sustainably and create opportunities to integrate value-chains between Kenya, East Africa and the European Union. Small businesses—both European and Kenyan—will find fresh opportunities to be part of global trade through this agreement.

The parties will work towards the completion of their respective internal procedures for the entry into force of the EPA as soon as possible.