The chief negotiators of the EU and the 79 ACP (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific) countries announced on Thursday 23 May in Brussels their willingness to move quickly to the next stage of the negotiations on the renewed and modernised partnership that will succeed the Cotonou Agreement when it expires in February 2020. The time has come for negotiations with each of the group's regions.
This common will was expressed by the European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, Chief Negotiator for the EU, and the Togolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Dussey, Chief Negotiator for the ACP, at the ACP-EU Joint Ministerial Meeting on 23 and 24 May, with an exchange of views on the subject on the agenda.
The negotiation phase of the umbrella agreement (common base for all ACP countries) on principles, values and priority strategic areas was completed in April. The specific consultations with Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific for the three regional pillars of the future partnership ended on 3 May in Eswatini (Pacific). "The consultations with the three regions were beneficial in that they gave a good idea of the needs of each region. We look forward to an agreement that focuses on the current and future needs of our member countries", said Robert Dussey.
In parallel with the regional negotiations, the negotiating teams of both sides will continue their work on the text of the 'Common Base'. The next negotiating sessions will focus in particular on the institutional structure. The objective is to make maximum progress before the next meeting of the Chief Negotiators, scheduled for the second half of July.
According to Neven Mimica, "the agreement is becoming more precise. It is time to intensify our efforts and accelerate our progress to achieve the expected results. Today's discussions on regional partnerships bring us a little closer to the new and enhanced cooperation we are seeking."
The ACP-EU Ministerial session, chaired by Maria Magdalena Grigore, Secretary of State at the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Tjekero Tweya, Minister of Industrialisation and Trade of Namibia, is dedicated to discussions on partnership, climate change and ocean governance, without any decision. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)