The European Parliament’s International Trade Committee Meeting met on 11th October 2018 at its Headquarters in Brussels to debate Samoa’s accession to the EU’s interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA) as part of the EU’s internal processes on Samoa’s iEPA accession.

Samoa’s Ambassador to the EU, H.E. Fatumanava Dr Paolelei Luteru, was invited to address the concerns of the Members of the European Parliament at the meeting.

In his remarks, Ambassador Luteru assured the Committee that Samoa’s accession complements governments efforts to improve market access for Samoa’s exports of goods and services, as well as securing development assistance to enable Samoa to build its productive capacity and enhance its competitiveness in international markets. In addition, the opportunities and potential gains for Samoa to join the arrangement outweighed the alternative for a Small Island Developing Country.

Samoa’s accession is on track to meet its target deadline for a provisional application come 1^st January 2019.