European preparations on the negotiating mandate on a post-Cotonou agreement with the 79 countries of the ACP (Africa-Caribbean-Pacific) Group have progressed well under the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council but the wording on the issue of migration posed a major headache for the ambassadors of the 28 member states to the EU (Coreper) on Thursday 24 May.
The Coreper meeting, scheduled to take place on Wednesday 23 May, the day after the brief discussion among EU development ministers, was postponed until Thursday. And on Thursday, there was still the possibility that a further meeting might be called for Friday to reach agreement on wording that would satisfy Hungary, which wants to avoid at all costs the new post-2020 agreement having any precedence whatsoever over national migration policies (see EUROPE 12023).
“Hungary has specific demands on this point that many member states find difficult to accommodate”, a diplomatic source acknowledged (for the position of the ACP Group ahead of the adoption of its own mandate, see other article).
Franco-German contribution. At the ministerial discussion on 22 May, France and Germany made their contribution in the form of an informal joint document expressing a shared commitment to a renewed post-2020 partnership based on greater reciprocity and going beyond simply development cooperation.
The two delegations also back particular emphasis on the economic dimension of the partnership, not only in terms of European investment in Africa but in terms of development of the economic fabric so as to increase export capacity and build the value chain.
The three Franco-German priorities for the partnership, to last 20 years with a tacit 5-year extension, are: - support for the economic integration of the continent through encouraging a continental free-trade zone; - increased Europe-Africa coordination in multilateral economic fora; - private sector development through support for the promotion of sustainable investment and improving the business climate (legal framework, ability to mobilise domestic tax resources, better system of investment protection).
The two countries also placed emphasis on the development, peace and security and migration chapters. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)