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# [INDIAN OCEAN] Historic EU trade deal: €9.7bn and a new framework for Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Comoros
- URL: https://businessoi.media/en/ocean-indien-ape-ue-historique-9-7-milliards-deuros-dechanges-et-un-nouveau-cadre-pour-madagascar-maurice-les-seychelles-et-les-comores-en/
- Published: 2026-10-10T13:41:15.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-10T13:41:15.000Z
- Description: Sealed on 10 June 2026 in Mauritius, the enhanced EU-Indian Ocean EPA now covers services, digital trade and investment. A deal spanning €9.7bn in annual trade — the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Author: Emmanuel TAOCHY
- Tags: Madagascar, Maurice, Seychelles, Comores, Économie, Clôture, #en

Sealed on 10 June 2026 at a ceremony in Mauritius, the enhanced Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and four Indian Ocean states — Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Comoros — is the first of its kind with any sub-Saharan African partner. After more than six years of negotiations, it fundamentally reshapes the commercial relationship between Europe and the region.

## €9.7 billion: the EU as the region's top trading partner

The figures speak for themselves: the EU accounts for 24% of the four islands' goods trade and 33% of their services trade. In 2024, total transactions reached €9.7 billion — €5.2 billion in island products imported by Europe (tuna, textiles, vanilla, cloves, ylang-ylang) and €4.5 billion in European exports to the region. The agreement, signed in Mauritius with EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič participating by video link, locks in this reality and elevates it to a strategic partnership.

## Far beyond goods

The 2012 agreement, limited to goods, left out sectors that have since become critical for the island economies. The 2026 EPA fixes this by adding four new chapters:

- **Services and investment**: stronger legal certainty for providers and investors on both sides, with fair and non-discriminatory treatment;
- **Digital trade**: zero customs duties on electronic transmissions and enhanced online consumer protection;
- **Public procurement**: greater transparency in tender processes to ease access for both local and European firms;
- **Intellectual property**: 135 EU geographical indications (cheeses, wines, olive oils) protected in Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles after a transition period.

## Binding sustainability commitments

Notably, the EPA includes binding clauses on workers' rights, climate, gender equality and corporate due diligence. An agricultural partnership accompanies the text, targeting more sustainable value chains in vanilla, spices and textiles. The agreement remains open to other Eastern and Southern African countries, including Zimbabwe, whose negotiations are ongoing.

## Why it matters

As Beijing offers zero-tariff access for African goods and Washington pursues bilateral deals, the EU has just staked a decisive claim in the battle for Africa's partnerships. For the four islands, the stakes go beyond free trade: it is about turning their commercial advantage into sustainable growth — Mauritian fintech exported to Europe, Malagasy vanilla processed locally, Seychellois tourism underpinned by clear services law. Formal ratification by parliaments is still ahead, but the course is set. *Sources: European Commission, riotimesonline.com, ue-madagascar.org, 2026.*