Cotonou Partnership Agreement
 ACP-EU Relations in a Changing World
 

In a rapidly changing world the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement (2000-2020) faces steep challenges. When Cotonou was signed in 2000 it represented a huge step forward in ACP-EU and international North-South relations. Cotonou was setting an ambitious and innovative agenda in terms of political dialogue, non-state actors participation, trade and development and performance based aid management. In several of these areas major progress has been realised, in others Cotonou was not yet able to live up to the high expectations.

In recent years some fundamental changes in the EU and the ACP cast a cloud upon the Cotonou Partnership and its future.

This ECDPM policy management report aims to stimulate a constructive debate on the Cotonou Partnership Agreement and the future orientation of ACP-EU relations. It is based on the outcomes of a multi-stakeholder seminar organised by the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) on 18-19 December 2006 on the occasion of its 20th Anniversary, and on recent ongoing debates and independent reflections in both the EU and the ACP.

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Now that the pace of the EPA negotiations has increased in all ACP regions, ECDPM has set up dedicated pages on the discussions in each ACP region on the acp-eu-trade.org web site.

These pages will be updated on a weekly basis and provide breaking news 'as-it-happens.'

See also feeds from euforic members:

acp-eu news from ACP countries [subscribe to email updates]

acp-eu trade news [subscribe to email updates]

news on acp-eu cooperation [subscribe to email updates]

africa-eu cooperation [subscribe to email updates]

caribbean-eu cooperation [subscribe to email updates]

pacific-eu cooperation [subscribe to email updates]

news from acp secretariat

news from cta

news from ecdpm

Check out discussions in the eu-africa joint strategy consultation [subscribe to email updates]

Labels: acp_trade, en, eu_acp, eu_cooperation, euforic, euforic_member, news, text

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Among the recent key meetings on EPA negotiations were the Joint Trade Committee Meeting (JTCM) on 1 March where the conclusions from the EPA review carried out in ACP sub-regions were discussed. This meeting was followed by the informal EU Development Ministers meeting on 13-14 March hosted by the German EU Presidency.

Both meetings resulted in EU/EC statements affirming that progress is being made and "that much work remains to be done" but that negotiations are on schedule.

However, from the ACP side, things seem to be less clear and from informal debriefings, it appears that much remains to be done to accommodate ACP concerns. There is appreciation of the fact that the EC and in particular Commissioners Mandelson and Michel have finally understood that their "dismissive tone" towards their ACP counterparts is little but provocative and can certainly not be understood as a confidence building approach. Recognition by Commissioner Mandelson about failing to listen to the ACP comes late, but it is hoped that such change will lead to the necessary sincere engagement and accommodation of ACP concerns. This "change of tune" only proves that the EU Council's political supervision is urgently needed to ensure that the EPA negotiations are in line with principles enshrined in the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, rather than DG Trade negotiation practices.

Source: EU NEWS - Issue 2, March 2007 (APRODEV, CIDSE, Caritas Europa).

See also Euforic dossier on ACP trade.

Labels: acp_trade, aprodev, cidse, eu_acp, eu_cooperation, euforic_member

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