The Post-Cotonou Agreement between the EU and the 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries that are members of the Organisation of ACP States (OACPS), which was due to be initialled in 2021, can now be signed. On Thursday 20 July, the Council of the EU adopted the decision authorising the signature by the Europeans and the provisional application of this renewed and modernised partnership agreement to face the challenges of the 21st century together (see EUROPE 12699/2).
The day before, the lifting of the Polish reservation, announced following the EU-CELAC summit on 18 July, had been confirmed (see EUROPE 13226/13).
“With this new agreement, we will be better equipped to address emerging needs and global challenges, such as climate change, ocean governance, migration, health, peace and security”, said the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
The European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, who was chief negotiator on behalf of the EU, and the co-presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) Portuguese MEP Carlos Zorrinho (S&D) and Mozambican MP Ana Rita Sithole hailed it “a historic day” for “the largest alliance of countries at a global level” and stressed the potential of this strengthened cooperation “in an increasingly complex geopolitical context”.
The signing by the EU and its Member States and by the OACPS countries will take place “in the coming months”, said Ms Urpilainen. The date and venue have yet to be announced.
The Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU JPA would like to see the necessary signatures before the expiry on 31 October 2023 of the transitional measures extending the current Cotonou Agreement (see EUROPE 13208/5).
They also hope that the EU and the OACPS will consider authorising the provisional application of the Post-Cotonou Agreement immediately after its signature to avoid further delays in strengthening the partnership between the OACPS and the EU.
Read the Council’s decision: https://aeur.eu/f/86o (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)