The European Parliament's Committee on International Trade (INTA) on 22 June 2026 debated the EU-South Africa Clean Trade and Investment Partnership (CTIP) and a study on mini trade deals, revealing divergences over the effectiveness and democratic legitimacy of non-binding instruments. Christophe Clergeau (S&D) reported South African criticism of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), while Kris Van Dijck (ECR) noted a South African MP questioning whether the EU mission was primarily about raw materials. Hannah Neumann (Greens/EFA) stressed that the raw materials Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) must support local processing and warned that cuts to the Global Gateway programme harm Africa relations.
On the study of mini trade deals, Jörgen Warborn (EPP) argued that such deals have 'zero or weak trade effect' and should serve as stepping stones to binding free trade agreements (FTAs). Jean-Marc Germain (S&D) warned that CTIPs and MOUs bypass democratic scrutiny under Article 218 TFEU. Commission official Jan Willem Wehrheiden rejected the term 'mini trade deals' and the claim that non-binding instruments circumvent Article 218, stating it is too early to assess their effectiveness. Professor Maurer countered that the Namibia MOU (2022) failed when Namibia banned raw material exports shortly after its signing.
Consensus existed on deepening EU-South Africa ties; Chair Bernd Lange (S&D) called the mission fruitful. Next steps include Germain's request for the Commission to publish CTIP roadmaps, set indicators, include financial commitments, and create pathways to binding agreements. Maurer recommended Parliament use budgetary leverage and issue a legislative initiative report on local value addition indicators.
South African exporters face potential CBAM costs and raw material export restrictions; EU investors in raw materials may face supply uncertainties; raw material sectors in both regions could see shifts in processing requirements; civil society gains from increased transparency but may see delayed binding commitments.