Brussels, 16/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - High on the agenda of the Portuguese Presidency, Africa will also be high on the agenda for EU development ministers at their Council meeting in Brussels on 19 and 20 November 2007 where three different groups of EU ministers will be looking at African issues. The first common EU-Africa strategy, due to be adopted at the Lisbon Summit on 8 and 9 December, problems encountered in negotiating the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and the four African regions of the ACP group (African, Caribbean and Pacific states) and improving the connection between EU security and development policies will be the main subjects under discussion during the development side of the Council. An outline of the agenda:
EU-Africa Strategy EU foreign ministers are expected to adopt the draft EU-Africa strategy and the draft action plan ahead of the second EU-Africa Summit, while development ministers will hold a policy debate on the use of development cooperation instruments and resources to back the strategy and the first action plan (for 2008-2010). The content of both documents focuses on common targets and strategic priorities to be established for the mutual benefit of both the EU and Africa (peace and security for a safer world, governance and human rights, trade and regional integration and moving faster towards the Millennium Development Goals) was endorsed by the EU-Africa ministerial troika in Accra, Ghana, on 31 October 2007.
The Council's conclusions document is expected to set out practical recommendations on how short-term security operations can be better meshed with long-term development objectives in the field of strategic planning, reforming the security industry, strategic partnerships between the EU and developing regions (like the EU-Africa strategy), humanitarian aid and security. The Development Council in Funchal, Madeira, on 21-22 September 2007 made the first steps in this common reflection process (see EUROPE 9507), attended by the European Commission, which is planning to publish a document in the near future which will detail the specific nature of humanitarian policies and the limits of military engagement (see EUROPE 9508).
Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). Less than two months before the 1 January 2008 deadline set by the World Trade Organisation for the EPAs to come into force, the Council will hold a policy debate with EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel on how to overcome the problems that have emerged in the EPA talks. The Commission's hopes of being able to sign at least one full EPA on time (on goods and the WTO's 'Singapore Issues') with each of the six ACP regions (see EUROPE 9529 and 9528. The Caribbean region is an exception. The Pacific region is moving towards the signing of an interim agreement on products by 31 December 2007, to be completed in 2008. For the four regions in Africa, including Southern Africa, the outcome is less clear. As far as the EU is concerned, some delegations (Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries) are concerned about the future of the less advanced ACP states which have much to lose if EPAs are not brought in because the Generalised Preferences Scheme will apply to them from 1 January 2008 onwards. The concerns of this group of countries are expected to contrast with the concerns of France and Spain which are concerned about the fate of bananas grown in the EU which they want to protect (along the same lines as EU-grown sugar and rice) from competition from ACP bananas.
EU aid for fragile countries. Based on a report published by the Commission on 25 October following the Funchal Council and ahead of the EP debate in plenary, the Council will adopt a conclusions document on how to improve the EU's response. (A.N)