Risk Assessment of Ghana-EU iEPA Implementation

The Project at A Glance

Ghana and the European Union (EU) signed an interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA), a development-oriented free trade agreement which provides duty-free and quota free access for Ghana’s exports to the EU, while Ghana progressively liberalize its imports from the EU.

International Economics conducted a risk assessment study for the Ministry of Trade (MoTI) to strengthen Ghana’s capacity to implement the iEPA, thereby enhancing all related Ghana’s benefits. The project was implemented within the Compete Ghana project led by GOPA Worldwide Consultants GmbH and funded by the European Commission.

What We Found

Project was implemented in 2023 with an aim to scrutinise the iEPA implementation process to permit the early direction of negative effects of imports of EU products on any Ghana’s industries and products and inform the government of Ghana to take appropriate countermeasures.
Specifically, through the risk assessment study, IEC identified sectors/industries, products and producers that may be sensitive to increased import competition. The study was a formalised approach for the identification and assessment of risks associated with iEPA implementation.
This is particularly important as it helps the iEPA Secretariat to collect data in a thorough, consistent and transparent way, so that decisions can be made on a sound evidence base.

Our Strategy and Impact

The process of carrying out the risk assessment study was broken down into the following 2 stages:

Step 1: Risk Identification: Relying on a clear, transparent and coherent methodology, we identified the products and producers that may be sensitive to increased import competition because of the iEPA implementation.
Step 2: Risk Assessment: In this process, the risk level was evaluated.

Our Core Solutions

Free Trade Agreements have been proliferating at a rapid pace for many years now, in view to facilitate stronger trade and commercial ties between participating countries. It is important to understand the trade provisions and the potential risks of a trade agreement, to ensure the smooth implementation. At International Economics, we support governments and negotiators in trade negotiation and provide evidence-based analyses and policy options. agreement. We identify and evaluate options for the mitigation of risk.