On 10 June 2026, in Mauritius, the European Union and four Eastern and Southern African States — the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles — concluded negotiations on a Deep and Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA+). The first modern and comprehensive free trade agreement concluded in sub-Saharan Africa, it covers not only goods but also services, investment, digital trade and sectoral cooperation.
A historic first for sub-Saharan Africa
The EPA+ concluded in Mauritius goes far beyond the standard economic partnership agreement already linking the four island states to the EU. By integrating services, investment and digital trade into a unified legal framework, the parties create the first modern, comprehensive free trade zone ever concluded between the EU and a group of sub-Saharan African states.
The agreement also aims to support local processing of raw materials, industrialisation and value-added creation in ESA states. This is a major issue for economies such as Madagascar, which exports a large share of its natural resources in raw form.
An agreement open to other candidates
According to the joint communiqué published on 15 June 2026, the agreement remains open to accession by other states in the region. This open clause aims to create a regional multiplier effect and encourage regulatory convergence with European standards.
The parties indicated their intent to complete the necessary steps towards formal signature and entry into force «as soon as possible», in accordance with their respective procedures.
A contested exclusion
The conclusion of this agreement sparked a notable protest: Younous Omarjee, Vice-President of the European Parliament, denounced the exclusion of Réunion and Mayotte from the negotiations. As EU outermost regions, these two territories could, in his view, have benefited from integration within the agreement or a privileged observer status.
This exclusion raises questions about the coherence of the EU's positioning in the Indian Ocean, where Réunion and Mayotte represent the EU's economic and regulatory anchor points in the zone.
Why this matters
For businesses in the Indian Ocean zone, this agreement creates new market access opportunities in the EU across financial services, tourism, digital and investment sectors. It also enhances the regulatory credibility of the four archipelagos as investment platforms aligned with international standards — a compelling argument vis-à-vis Asian and Gulf investors increasingly looking at the region.