While the Modernised Partnership, which will take over from the Cotonou Agreement between the EU and the 79 ACP (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific) countries, was the subject of a political agreement between the chief negotiators of the EU and the OACPS last December (see EUROPE 12616/7), the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) published on 8 January an introductory analysis of this agreement which will open a new chapter in relations between privileged partners.
This concept paper entitled ‘EU-ACP relations: the end of preferences?’ emphasises that this partnership is now to become more political and regionalised and to mark the transition from a cooperation agreement focused on ACP development to a partnership centred on the mutual and reciprocal interests of Europe and the ACP. According to the author, “the regionalisation of the Agreement will have the effect of making more visible the growing weight of Africa in the external relations of the Union”.
The date for the finalisation of the post-Cotonou Agreement is not yet known. “The EU and OACPS negotiating teams are currently finalising the text of the agreement. An internal Commission consultation will have to be carried out before the chief negotiators can initial the final text in the coming weeks”, an EU source told EUROPE on Tuesday 12 January.
To read the ECDPM analysis: https://bit.ly/3br9hh0 (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)