“The signing of the comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) by the European
Community (EC) and Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM) countries covering a wide range
of issues, including intellectual property (IP) provisions, has the potential to influence negotiations for other EPA groups that have only signed a series of ‘goods-only’ interim EPAs. Even though IP is not included as one of the areas for further negotiations under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) interim EPA, there is possibility that the EC may make proposals for IP negotiations, since it is known to have a history of including IP
provisions in its bilateral agreements. Generally, its approach has been to have its partners sign up to or accede to agreements containing the highest standards of IP as evidenced in the CARIFORUM EPA. This paper explores the implications for SADC EPA states of inclusion of IP provisions in the EPA in light of the probability that the EC may propose standards similar to those provisions in the innovation and IP chapter of the CARIFORUM EPA. It focuses on those
provisions of the CARIFORUM EPA that may pose challenges to the SADC EPA countries
and makes recommendations in the approach for possible IP negotiations for the SADC
EPA countries.”
