Brussels, 12/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - The EU is fully resuming its cooperation with the Republic of Guinea after it was partially suspended following the military coup on 23 December 2008. On Thursday 12 December, the Council of the EU decided in Brussels to resume this cooperation as it believes that the conditions for full resumption of cooperation under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) have now been fulfilled. It is the holding of inclusive and peaceful parliamentary elections in this ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) country on 28 September that led to this favourable decision from the Council. The decision was taken without debate on the sidelines of the Foreign Affairs Council (in its Development format).
The parliamentary elections in Guinea were the last milestone on the roadmap established by the Council in July 2009 for a return to constitutional order, and the EU believes that the good conduct of these elections is a very important step towards the return to constitutional order and the consolidation of democracy. The roadmap was the end result of the political consultations between the EU and the authorities of Guinea as part of the Cotonu Agreement linking the EU to the 79 ACP countries, and the tangible progress in implementing the roadmap should enable the gradual resumption of cooperation.
“I welcome the holding of these peaceful and inclusive elections and the imminent installation of the National Assembly. It is important that the Guinean authorities now commit themselves to wide-ranging discussions on the electoral framework with a view to speedy introduction of the reforms necessary for the forthcoming elections to be held. The new Assembly will provide an appropriate institutional framework for the organisation of this democratic debate between the different political parties”, said High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton.
European aid has until now been limited to accompanying the democratic transition and to providing direct support to the population. From now on, €139.9 million can be mobilised - which is planned to finance five cooperation projects in the field of governance and transport as part of the 10th EDF (see EUROPE 10909).
The restrictive measures to cooperation were imposed in 2009 (Decision 2009/618/EC of 27 July 2009, amended and extended several times - including most recently by Decision 2013/386/EU of 15 July 2013) under Article 96 of the Cotonu Agreement. Article 96 provides that political dialogue can be held to try and remedy the situation if there is a breach of the agreement or several essential elements of it by one of the parties (respect for human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law). Should this fail, cooperation can be partially - or even totally - suspended as a last resort.
The EU observed the parliamentary elections in Guinea at the request of the Guinean authorities, and the EU election observation mission (EOM) stayed on the ground from 22 August until the conclusion of the electoral dispute on 15 November. (AN/transl.fl)