The implementation of the Cotonou Agreement linking the European Union to 78 developing countries in the ACP (Africa, Caribbean, Pacific) group, and the future of EU-ACP relations after 2020 when this partnership agreement for development expires, will be at the centre of the joint ACP-EU Council of Ministers meeting to be held in Brussels on Friday 5 May.
This ministerial session, co-chaired by Malta's Minister for Foreign Affairs George Vella and Ethiopia's Minister for Finance and Economic Cooperation Abraham Tekeste, will be dominated by discussions behind closed doors, without any joint press conference being planned for afterwards.
As far as the future of the post-Cotonou partnership is concerned, this will be the first occasion for both parties to meet for discussion since the EU's Foreign Affairs Council meeting which took place in November 2016 and which saw the European ministers debate the option of a partnership with tailor-made regional agreements (the Commission's preferred option) but without reaching any consensus (see EUROPE 11677).
On the ACP side, reflection has been long ongoing, especially at the highest level –that of heads of state or government (see EUROPE 11571) – and the ACP ministers, meeting in Brussels on 3 and 4 May ahead of the joint Council are expected to hone their position. Determined to remain united as an intergovernmental organisation, the ACP group would like the agreement that takes over from the Cotonou Agreement to be legally binding and based on the following pillars: - trade, investment, industrialisation and services; - development cooperation, technology, science and innovation/research; - political dialogue and advocacy. It would also like any EU-ACP agreement to preserve the key geopolitical and geographical nature of the ACP group (with its six-region structure), while remaining open to different forms of association with other developing countries.
Discussions will also focus on economic, trade and financial cooperation for development, and on development of the private sector (for which the ACP and EU will launch a programme together in mid-2017).
The ministers will furthermore address international challenges of common interest, such as the fight against climate change (a few days before resumption of the post-Paris Agreement negotiations taking place in Bonn next week), and implementation of the 2030 universal sustainable development goals on which the EU and ACP have agreed to align the future post-Cotonou agreement.
The EU's new strategy for Africa, which is due to be presented by the Commission and European External Action Service on Thursday 4 May, may also be discussed by the ACP and EU ministers.
The joint Council will additionally review implementation of the Valletta action plan on migration and setting up the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD) – an external investment fund which is initially supposed to raise €44 billion in investment for Africa (see EUROPE 11774). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)