International Cooperation

Africa-Caribbean-Pacific and Europe: Threatens divorce?

For more than forty years, the special partnership between the EU and the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP). But the agreement expires in 2020. After that, is unclear.

Escape, Climate Change, Poverty. Since Monday members of Parliament from Europe and a total of 79 States from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific in Namibia’s capital Windhoek pressing issues to debate. “The partnership between the EU and the ACP States is a very special experience. There is no comparable Institution that such a large number of States, brings together,” says the host, Namibia’s President of Parliament, Peter Katjavivi, in the DW-interview.

However, the special partnership may soon be past. 2020 the Lost of Cotonou expires, the cooperation between the ACP States and the EU regulates. After that: unclear. For the ACP countries, much is at stake. Alone for the period between 2014 and 2020, you get 29 billion euros from the European development Fund. In addition, access to the European market.

Partnership without a high priority

The cooperation with the three continents to the European Union. But the ACP group of countries, has for Brussels, it is not a high priority. You’ve evolved from a “privileged to be a rather marginalised Partner” of the EU, writes down a foreign think-tank “European Center for Development Policy Management” in a recent study.

EU-Africa summit in Malta by the end of 2015

Pressing issues such as mass migration, or terrorism, to discuss Europe’s heads of state and government directly with their African counterparts on the regular peaks, such as, for example, at the end of last year in
Malta. European and African Union have long been an own programme of action. In addition, there is a private agreement between the EU and North African countries.

“The question is whether it is more effective to transfer these structures in a framework in which both the funds from the development Fund are included, as well as what we do for the partnership with North Africa and also the middle, which is currently in a separate, pan-African programme in the EU budget”, says the MEP Michael Gahler. He sits in the joint Committee of European and ACP parliamentarians and is in Windhoek.

The ACP States are drifting apart

How to do it after 2020 – because Gahler still many open questions. As the EU and the ACP countries sealed their partnership in 1975, the first Lomé Convention, the reports were fairly clear: Almost all ACP countries were former colonies of the EU member countries. They had closed mainly with the aim to coordinate the economic Links to the EU.

However, since 1975, the countries have developed politically and economically in different directions. The island nation of Dominica in the Caribbean for example has very different challenges than the African landlocked country of Zambia. “What is the Caribbean or the Pacific have to do with Africa directly, from the colonial past, apart? Can’t we do with these countries separately something more targeted?”, the CDU Euro MP Michael Gahler asking.

The dispute around the economic partnership agreements

Also, the African States have a lot of need for discussion for future cooperation. Example, Economic partnership agreements: The Cotonou agreement provides that EU and African States to each other
free Market access for their products allow.

Dispute over the free trade agreement, there are already long: protests by activists and farmers in Kenya in 2007

I don’t like many of the African States. They fear that an uncontrolled influx of European Goods could damage their own economy. In addition, the elimination of import means customs duties less revenue for the ailing state budgets. Nevertheless, the EU pushed for the completion of the agreement – to the Annoyance of many African governments.

“The discussion on the economic partnership agreements of the partnership shaken up,” said Namibia’s President of Parliament, Peter Katjavivi. Nevertheless, he wants to stick to the EU-ACP cooperation. Whether there will be the actually also after 2020? For the debate a little time still remains the Official negotiations start, both sides until mid-2018.

Staff: Julia Hahn