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The trade, development and cooperation agreement between the Republic of South Africa and the European Union : an analysis with special regard to the negotiating process, the contents of the agreement, the applicability of WTO law and the Port and Sherry Agreement

Thesis (LLM)--University of Stellenbosch, 1999. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis deals with the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement (TDCA)
between the European Union and the Republic of South Africa, which was concluded
in October 1999. In particular, the agreement is analysed in the light of the
negotiating process between the parties, the contents of the agreement, the
applicability of WTO law and the compatibility of the agreement with it and the Port
and Sherry Agreement.
Since the EU emphasised its aim to commence economic and development
cooperation with other African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries on a reciprocal
basis during the negotiations for a successor of the Lomé Convention, the TDCA
between the EU and South Africa had to be seen as a "pilot project" for future
cooperation agreements between countries at different levels of development. The
TDCA between the EU and South Africa is therefore not only very important for the
two concerned parties, but could serve as an example for further negotiations
between the EU and other ACP countries. Thus the purpose of this thesis is to
examine the TDCA between the EU and South Africa from a wider global
perspective.
The thesis is divided into six Chapters:
The first Chapter provides an introduction to the circumstances under which the
negotiations between the EU and South Africa commenced. It deals briefly with the
economic situation in South Africa during the apartheid era and presents reasons
why the parties wanted to enter into bilateral negotiations. The introductory part
furthermore presents an overview of the contents of the thesis.
The second chapter contains a detailed description of the negotiating process that
took place between the parties and shows why it took 43 months and 21 rounds of
negotiations to reach a deal. South Africa's partial accession to the Lomé Convention
and the conclusion of separate agreements such as the Wine and Spirits Agreement,
are also analysed. Chapter three presents the various components of the TOCA and illustrates what the
negotiators achieved. This chapter on the TOCA concludes with an evaluation of the
Agreement and shows the potential benefits to South Africa and the EU.
Since the Agreement had to satisfy international rules, the provisions of the General
Agreement on Tariffs and TradelWorld Trade Organisation (GATTIWTO) were of
major importance. The EC Treaty, however, does not contain any provision that
indicates whether, or how, an international agreement like the GATTIWTO penetrates
the Community legal order. In Chapter four, accordingly, questions are raised
regarding the extent to which the bilateral agreement between South Africa and the
EU was influenced by the GATTIWTO provisions and how these rules were
incorporated into the agreement. Furthermore, since the parties agreed on the
establishment of a free trade area, this chapter deals with the question of in how far
the TOCA is in line with Article XXIV GATT.
In addition to the GATT provisions, the TOCA is also affected by the Agreement on
Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs). Therefore Chapter five
deals with TRIPs in connection with the TOCA. The use of the terms "Port" and
"Sherry" as the major stumbling block to the conclusion of the TOCA is analysed
more closely.
The final part, namely Chapter six, provides a summary of the results of the
investigation. Furthermore, a conclusion is provided with regard to the question of
whether the TOeA can be seen as an example for further trade relations between the
EU and other ACP countries. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis is gerig op die Handels-, Ontwikkelings- en Samewerkingsooreenkoms
(TDGA) tussen die Europese Unie (EU) en die Republiek van Suid Afrika wat in
Oktober 1999 gesluit is. Die ooreenkoms word veral in die lig van die
onderhandelingsproses tussen die partye, die inhoud van die ooreenkoms, die
toepaslikheid van Wêreldhandelsorganisasiereg en die versoenbaarheid daarvan
met die ooreenkoms en die Port en Sjerrie-ooreenkoms ontleed.
Aangesien die EU sy oogmerk van wederkerige ekonomiese en ontwikkelings-gerigte
samewerking met ander lande in Afrika en die Karibiese en Stille Oseaan-Eilande
gedurende die onderhandelings vir 'n opvolger van die Lomé Konvensie beklemtoon
het, moes die ooreenkoms tussen die EU en Suid-Afrika as 'n "loodsprojek" vir
toekomstige samewerkingsooreenkomste tussen lande wat op verskillende vlakke
van onwikkeling is, gesien word. Die Handels-, Ontwikkelings- en
Samewerkingsooreenkoms tussen die EU en Suid-Afrika is dus nie net baie belangrik
vir die betrokke partye nie, maar dit kan ook as 'n voorbeeld vir verdere
onderhandelings tussen die EU en lande van Afrika en die Karibiese- en Stille
Oseaan-Eilande dien. Die doel van dié tesis is om die Handels-, Ontwikkelings- en
Samewekingsooreenkoms tussen die EU en Suid-Afrika vanuit 'n meer globale
perspektief te beskou.
Die tesis is in ses Hoofstukke ingedeel:
Die eerste hoofstuk bied 'n inleiding tot die omstandighede waaronder die
onderhandelings tussen die EU en Suid-Afrika begin het. Dit behandel die Suid-
Afrikaanse ekonomiese situasie onder apartheid kortliks en toon hoekom die partye
tweesydige onderhandelings wou aanknoop. Verder bied die inleidende deel 'n
oorsig oor die inhoud van die tesis.
Die tweede hoofstuk bevat 'n gedetailleerde beskrywing van die
onderhandelingsproses wat tussen die partye plaasgevind het en toon aan waarom
dit drie-en-veertig maande geduur het en een-en-twintig onderhandelingsrondtes
gekos het om die saak te beklink. Suid-Afrika se gedeeltelike toetrede tot die Lomé Konvensie en die sluit van aparte ooreenkomste soos die Port- en Sjerrieooreenkoms
word ook ontleed.
Die daaropvolgende hoofstuk bespreek die verskillende komponente van die
Handels-, Ontwikkelings- en Samewerkingsooreenkoms en toon wat die
onderhandelaars bereik het. Hierdie hoofstuk oor die Ooreenkoms sluit af met 'n
evaluering daarvan en dui die potensiële voordele van die Ooreenkoms vir Suid-
Afrika en die EU aan.
Aangesien die Ooreenkoms internasionale reëls moes tevrede stel, was die
voorskrifte van die Algemene Ooreenkoms oor Tariewe en Handel (GATT) van
uiterste belang. Die EG-verdrag bevat egter geen voorskrif wat aandui óf, of hoé, 'n
internasionale ooreenkoms soos GATTNVTO die regsorde van die Europese
Gemeenskap binnedring nie. Die vraag oor in hoeverre die tweesydige ooreenkoms
tussen Suid-Afrika en die EU deur die GATTIWTO voorskrifte beïnvloed is, en oor
hoe hierdie reëls in die ooreenkoms opgeneem is, word dus in Hoofstuk vier
aangeraak. Aangesien die partye ooreengekom het om 'n vrye handeisarea tot stand
te bring, behandel hierdie hoofstuk ook die vraag oor in hoeverre die TOGA met
Artikel XXIV GATT strook.
Tesame met die GATT-voorskrifte word die TOGA ook deur die Ooreenkoms ten
opsigte van Handelsverwante Aspekte van Intellektuele Eiendomsreg (TRIPs)
geraak. Hoofstuk vyf behandel daarom hierdie aspek ten opsigte van die TOGA. Die
gebruik van die terme "Port" en "Sjerrie" as die vernaamste struikelblok tot die sluiting
van die TOG-ooreenkoms word ook deegliker ontleed.
Die laaste gedeelte, naamlik Hoofstuk ses, bied 'n opsomming van die resultate van
die ondersoek. Verder word 'n gevolgtrekking voorsien ten opsigte van vraag of die
TOGA as 'n voorbeeld vir verdere handelsverwantskappe tussen die EU en ander
lande in Afrika en die Karibiese en Stille Oseaan-eilande beskou kan word.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52582
Date12 1900
CreatorsVolz, Eckehard
ContributorsErasmus, M. G., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Law. Dept. of Mercantile Law.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format227 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

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