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For better or for worse: the impact of EPAs on Africa's regional integration
Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Africa are often plagued with disorientation and sub-par trade relations. It is well-established that extra-continental trade partnerships between Africa and the West have resulted in the delaying of industrialisation and the subsequent growth in intra-contine...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Political Studies
2022
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| _version_ | 1867613189202509824 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Moleli, Moretlo |
| author2 | Akokpari, John |
| author_browse | Akokpari, John Moleli, Moretlo |
| author_facet | Akokpari, John Moleli, Moretlo |
| author_sort | Moleli, Moretlo |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Africa are often plagued with disorientation and sub-par trade relations. It is well-established that extra-continental trade partnerships between Africa and the West have resulted in the delaying of industrialisation and the subsequent growth in intra-continental and intra-regional trade. This study aims to determine whether the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), engineered by the European Union (EU) between Africa and the EU have been beneficial to Africa's quest for regional economic integration. This was done through qualitative research. The theoretical perspective of Neofunctionalism is used in order to explore how scholars perceive regional integration. This is accompanied by some conceptual lenses stemming from the umbrella of New Regionalism theory, particular these are: Open Regionalism, The WIDER Approach, Regionalism from Below (New Regionalisms), as well as the External Guarantors Model. The study showed that the trade and economic agreements the EU established with Africa have been asymmetrical and have left Africa as a producer of raw materials. Thus, while the EPAs may produce some positive outcomes for Africa, the costs far outweigh the benefits. The EPAs have the potential to negatively affect Africa's quest to establish a thriving African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). In this regard, the EPAs are detrimental to, rather than enhancing Africa's regional integration efforts. Africa's regional economic communities (RECs) are critical to the success of the AfCFTA. Future trade agreements between Africa and the EU should therefore be crafted in ways that enhance Africa's regionalism. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/36603 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:11.035Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Department of Political Studies |
| publisherStr | Department of Political Studies |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/36603 For better or for worse: the impact of EPAs on Africa's regional integration Moleli, Moretlo Akokpari, John international relations Regional Economic Communities (RECs) in Africa are often plagued with disorientation and sub-par trade relations. It is well-established that extra-continental trade partnerships between Africa and the West have resulted in the delaying of industrialisation and the subsequent growth in intra-continental and intra-regional trade. This study aims to determine whether the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), engineered by the European Union (EU) between Africa and the EU have been beneficial to Africa's quest for regional economic integration. This was done through qualitative research. The theoretical perspective of Neofunctionalism is used in order to explore how scholars perceive regional integration. This is accompanied by some conceptual lenses stemming from the umbrella of New Regionalism theory, particular these are: Open Regionalism, The WIDER Approach, Regionalism from Below (New Regionalisms), as well as the External Guarantors Model. The study showed that the trade and economic agreements the EU established with Africa have been asymmetrical and have left Africa as a producer of raw materials. Thus, while the EPAs may produce some positive outcomes for Africa, the costs far outweigh the benefits. The EPAs have the potential to negatively affect Africa's quest to establish a thriving African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). In this regard, the EPAs are detrimental to, rather than enhancing Africa's regional integration efforts. Africa's regional economic communities (RECs) are critical to the success of the AfCFTA. Future trade agreements between Africa and the EU should therefore be crafted in ways that enhance Africa's regionalism. 2022-07-04T07:28:18Z 2022-07-04T07:28:18Z 2022 2022-07-04T07:22:42Z Master Thesis Masters MA http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36603 eng application/pdf Department of Political Studies Faculty of Humanities |
| spellingShingle | international relations Moleli, Moretlo For better or for worse: the impact of EPAs on Africa's regional integration |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | For better or for worse: the impact of EPAs on Africa's regional integration |
| title_full | For better or for worse: the impact of EPAs on Africa's regional integration |
| title_fullStr | For better or for worse: the impact of EPAs on Africa's regional integration |
| title_full_unstemmed | For better or for worse: the impact of EPAs on Africa's regional integration |
| title_short | For better or for worse: the impact of EPAs on Africa's regional integration |
| title_sort | for better or for worse the impact of epas on africa s regional integration |
| topic | international relations |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/36603 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT molelimoretlo forbetterorforworsetheimpactofepasonafricasregionalintegration |