Външнотърговски отношения между Европейския съюз и регионалните икономически общности в Африка

Abstract

The main objective of the study is to analyse and assess the state of art and dynamics of international trade relations between the EU and the Regional economic communities in Africa. The study briefly presents the complex framework and the development of integration processes in Africa discussing in more detail those communities that are recognised as building blocks of the African economic community. Then it analyses the legal and institutional framework of the relations between the EU and Sub‐Saharan African countries with a special focus on the assessment of the potential and real effects of the Economic partnership agreements on trade relations between the EU and African regions. To make the analysis of those effects more thorough, the study then outlines the trends in trade relations between the EU and African regions in terms of dynamics, commodity structure and specific regional distribution of trade for the period since the Cotonou Agreement came into force – 2003‐2013. Within this analysis the place of the EU Central and Eastern Europe member states in the EU's trade relations with the Economic partnership agreements in Africa. To complete the analysis the study presents in general some other areas affecting the development of trade relations – Official development assistance, foreign direct investment, remittances, etc. The last part of the project extensively analyses Bulgaria’s trade relations with the regions and countries in Africa demonstrating their growing importance to the country’s international trade relations.