ACP-EU sign Second Revised Cotonou Agreement

Jun 27, 2010 News

After more than a year of negotiations with the European Union, the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group and the EU this week signed the second five-yearly review of the Cotonou Agreement in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The Cotonou Agreement is the most comprehensive partnership agreement between developing countries and the EU. It is a key instrument in the fight against poverty in the ACP States, and has been the framework for the EU’s relations with 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) States since 2000. It is revised every five years.

The revised Agreement, amongst other things, addresses a number of important issues between the two parties. One of them is the need to expedite progress towards the attainment of MDGs as well as aid effectiveness and global challenges such financial market shocks.

It also emphasises the link between peace and security and poverty reduction and peace and security. The provisions on humanitarian assistance have been improved to emphasise not only responses to emergency situations, but also support for ACP States’ efforts in disaster risk reduction and post conflict reconstruction and rehabilitation.

The trade chapter of the Agreement reaffirms the role of the Economic Partnership Agreements to boost economic development and integration into the world economy.

It underlines the importance of trade adaptation strategies and aid for trade.

More impact, more value for money: the revision will put into practice the internationally agreed aid effectiveness principles, in particular donor co-ordination. For the first time, the role of other EU policies for the development of ACP countries is recognised and the EU commits to enhance the coherence of those policies to this end.