Brussels, 12/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The effect of the internal Commission reform concerning external aid management on cooperation between the Union and ACP countries (African, Caribbean and Pacific) was the focus of talks, on Thursday, between Jean-Robert Goulangana, Secretary General of the ACP group and Commissioner Chris Patten. Mr Goulangana expressed the concerns of the ACP group regarding the growing involvement of the Directorate General on External Relations and Trade in ACP/EU cooperation, hitherto mainly headed by the Directorate General for Development. The growing number of interlocutors makes the ACP group fear there will be dilution of its privileged links with the EU, and the delay in the enforcement of the Cotonou Agreement could threaten one of the challenges of the new partnership for development, namely the full use by the ACP of the resources of the European Development Fund at their disposal, stressed Mr Goulangana, who, moreover, expressed the hope of there being increased political dialogue between the ACPs and the EU.