Everything but Arms

  Least Developed Countries

Everything but Arms (EBA) is an initiative of the European Union under which all imports to the EU from the Least Developed Countries are duty-free and quota-free, with the exception of armaments. EBA entered into force on 5 March 2001. There are transitional arrangements for bananas, sugar and rice until January 2006, July 2009 and September 2009 respectively. The EBA is part of the EU Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).^[1]

Although the EBA program provides for duty-free imports from Least Developed Countries the Rules of Origin, especially pertaining to apparel, severely inhibit imports because all phases of production do not occur within Least Developed Countries.

The aim of the scheme is to encourage the development of the world's poorest countries.

See also

• Trade and development
• Common Agricultural Policy
• World Trade Organization
• African Growth and Opportunity Act

References

1. ↑ Therefore the legal text can be found in the GSP regulation, art 12 and 13.

External links

• European Union Generalised System of Preference regulation EC No 980/2005
• European Commission - "Generalised System of Preferences: "EBA" - Everything But Arms initiative"
• Oxfam, December 2000, "Everything but Arms and Sugar?"

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