The Council of the European Union is set to adopt a Decision on 8 July 2026 authorising the EU to support a US request for a WTO waiver to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) programme and to incorporate the Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development into Annex 4 to the WTO Agreement. The Decision, contained in document 10076/26, will empower the European Commission to join consensus at the next WTO General Council meeting scheduled for 14-15 July 2026.
The Commission originally proposed the EU position on 20 January 2026. The Trade Policy Committee endorsed a modified text on 12 March 2026, conditional on outcomes of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) held in Yaoundé from 26-29 March 2026. The Permanent Representatives Committee confirmed agreement on 13 March 2026, also conditional on MC14 outcomes. As no MC14 outcomes had legal effects affecting the draft, the Council did not vote on it at that time. The Presidency later adapted the draft to allow the Commission to join consensus at any General Council meeting before the next Ministerial Conference, a change endorsed by the Trade Policy Committee (Deputies) on 4 June 2026.
The adoption of the AGOA waiver appears likely, but incorporation of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement is less certain. The Council will inform the European Parliament per Article 218(10) TFEU. The Decision impacts EU trade policy by supporting preferential access for African countries under AGOA and advancing investment facilitation rules, benefiting EU exporters and investors in Africa while reinforcing multilateral trade governance.