On June 10, 2026, in Port Louis, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles signed a "modern and comprehensive" free trade agreement with the European Union — the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa. A new commercial era is opening for the Indian Ocean region.
Beyond goods: services, digital trade and investment
For decades, the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the EU and the four island states of Eastern and Southern Africa focused primarily on trade in goods. The joint declaration signed in Mauritius marks a clear break: the new text extends the partnership to services, direct investment, digital trade and sectoral cooperation.
The five parties have set a clear shared objective: strengthen regional supply chain resilience, promote sustainable development and, above all, encourage local industrial transformation. The goal is no longer simply to export to Europe, but to access its markets with greater value added produced locally.
A high-level signing
The agreement was signed by the foreign ministers of all four countries — including Dhananjay Ramful for Mauritius and Haingotiana Andriamadison for Madagascar — and by Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Trade. This top-level representation confirms the strategic weight that Brussels now places on the Indian Ocean in its African trade policy.
A pioneering agreement, open to neighbours
Notably, the text remains open to accession by other ESA member states (Eastern and Southern Africa). The four island signatories are positioning themselves as pioneers of a framework that could progressively extend across the region, reinforcing the continental trade integration envisioned by the AfCFTA.
Why it matters
For economic decision-makers in the Indian Ocean, this agreement opens concrete access to European markets in high-value sectors: financial services, premium tourism, digital economy, and maritime logistics. At a time when competition to attract foreign investors is intensifying across Africa, having a legally secure framework with the EU represents a significant competitive advantage. The formal signature and entry into force remain subject to each party's internal procedures — but the negotiation phase is definitively closed.
Sources: EEAS — EU Delegation to Mauritius, Témoignages.re, La 1ère / France.tv