On Thursday 25 January, MEPs from the European Parliament's development committee and European Commissioner for Development Neven Mimica noted that the European Commission and MEPs from this committee should not have difficulty coming to an agreement on the modalities of the future partnership between the EU and the 79 ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) countries after 2020.
That is because they all want a renewed partnership between equals that is legally binding and updated, that strengthens political dialogue, promotes common interests and values, and enables them to meet the challenges of the 21st Century together and more effectively. This should be in the framework of an umbrella agreement and of three tailor-made regional agreements, capitalising on the acquis "of the broadest and oldest partnership in the world, today bringing together 1.5 billion people and representing a majority at the UN", Mimica stated.
Having come to present these MEPs with the Commission's recommendation to the Council for negotiating directives, Mimica highlighted the similarities of approach between what the Commission proposes and the expectations expressed by the Parliament well ahead, on the basis of the report by German MEP Norbert Neuser (S&D) (EUROPE 11675, 11639).
"This is a very, very important issue, which will form the main part of our work up to the European elections", the chair of the European Parliament's development committee, Linda McAvan, stated as a prelude to the Mimica's presentation. Mimica said that he had presented the draft negotiating mandate to the joint parliamentary assembly in Haiti, and very recently to the EU's Foreign Affairs Council (see EUROPE 11944).
"The member states agreed to say that these proposals were a good basis for discussion. Our proposals reflect your committee's approach: a strong and ambitious proposal preparing an updated, targeted partnership, comparable to the big framework agreements we have with other regions. It involves our better taking account of today's realities and Europe's resolve also to be a pro-active and responsible actor tomorrow. We are, moreover, the top actor in terms of development policy", Mimica stated.
He underlined the fact that the sustainable development goals must be at the heart of the new partnership. "But, for this, it is important that we deepen the political dialogue in all domains and for all the goals covered by the new agreement. It is important to work on shared interests and common goals – the eradication of poverty, growth, security, mobility and migration. As the Neuser report requests, relations on an equal footing will be needed which will get us out of the simple field of development", Mimica said. He also pointed out that a number of ACP countries had become middle-income countries, "which calls for new forms of cooperation".
The commissioner furthermore spoke of his resolve to engage in a more regular political dialogue, "in the most appropriate format and at the most appropriate level – national, regional or ACP", and of the importance he, like the MEPs, give to strengthening the role of civil society, including of the Parliament.
"We can only rally together on the main points", Neuser recognised, underlining "the very important role that the ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly plays", especially "for discussing human rights".
The objective of the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council is to reach an agreement on a negotiating mandate next May. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)