The negotiations between the EU and the ACP States (OACPS) on the renewed and modernised partnership that will take over from the Cotonou Agreement were formally concluded on Thursday 15 April, opening a new chapter in relations between the EU and 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific partner countries.
The Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, and Togo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robert Dussey - the two chief negotiators - initialled on Thursday evening the final text of the future Partnership Agreement, which was politically agreed in December 2020 (see EUROPE 12634/23, 12616/7).
The future agreement is intended to enable the EU and the ACP countries to better meet the challenges of the 21st century together.
It will be based on an ‘umbrella agreement’ or ‘common core’ applicable to all and three ‘tailor-made’ regional protocols for Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific respectively. The umbrella agreement and these three protocols will be legally binding and concluded for 20 years.
The umbrella agreement sets out values and principles and six priorities: 1) human rights, democracy and governance; 2) peace and security; 3) human and social development; 4) environmental sustainability and climate change; 5) economic growth and inclusive, sustainable development; 6) migration and mobility. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)