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ACP-EC Convention of Lome ACP-EC Cotonou Agreement ACP-EC Convention of Lome ACP-EC Cotonou Agreement Annual report of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers (2000) A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet. It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int). Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2002 ISBN 92-824-2055-8 © European Communities, 2002 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in Italy PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER CONVENTION ACP-CE DE LOME ACP-EC CONVENTION OF LOME LE CONSEIL THE COUNCIL LES SECRET AIRES THE SECRETARIES Brussels, 1 9 -09- 2001 The Hon. Mr John Corrie The Hon. Mr Serge Clair Co-Chairmen of the ACP-EC Joint Parliamentary Assembly, 102 European Parliament, LUXEMBOURG Sirs, At its meeting in Brussels on 11 May 2001, the ACP-EC Council of Ministers instructed the Committee of Ambassadors, in conjunction with the Secretaries of the Council of Ministers, to fmalize the Annual Report which it has to publish pursuant to Article 342 paragraph 4 of the Fourth ACP-EC Convention, as amended by the agreement signed in Mauritius on 4 November 1995, and to forward it to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly. As this report has now been fmally approved, we are pleased to communicate the text thereof to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly in order that it may be examined by that body in accordance with Article 350 of the revised Fourth ACP-EC Convention. The necessary copies of this text will be made available to your services as soon as possible. Yours sincerely, Jean-Robert GOULONGANA Enc: 1 Rue de Ia Loi 175 1048 BRUSSELS Tel (02)285 61.11 -Telegrams: Consilium Bruxelles- Telex. 21711 Constl B Contents Page I. Introduction 4 II. Overview of the work of the ACP-EC institutions 6 1. Council of Ministers 6 2. Committee of Ambassadors 10 3. Joint Assembly 12 Ill. Activities of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers in the various areas of cooperation 14 1. Trade and customs cooperation 14 2. Sugar 14 3. Cooperation on commodities 14 4. Development finance cooperation 14 5. Industrial cooperation 14 6. Agricultural and rural cooperation 14 IV. Relations with South Africa 15 1. Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of South Africa 15 2. Regulation on development cooperation with South Africa 15 V. Annexes 17 3 I. Introduction nance as a fundamental and positive ele­ ment of partnership, a subject for regu­ lar dialogue and an area for active (a) The year 2000 was marked by the final­ development support. isation on 3 February 2000 of the nego­ tiations and the signature, on 23 June in Cotonou, Benin, of the new ACP-EC The Agreement lends a new democratic Partnership Agreement to replace the dimension to the partnership by actively fourth Lome Convention, which expired encouraging the involvement of civil on 29 February 2000, as well as by the society and non-State actors in shaping first steps towards its implementation. the future of their countries. It makes provision for informing and consulting The joint bodies under the Convention, those new actors and strengthening their in particular the ACP-EC Council of capacities. Ministers, also reviewed the implemen­ tation of cooperatton under the Lome At the heart of the Agreement lies an Convention and addressed the problems interactive cooperation strategy linking encountered. the development strategies and the trade and economic partnership agreements. (b) The new Partnership Agreement which associates 77 African, Caribbean and Both parties agreed on the process to Pacific (ACP) States with the European establish new trading arrangements that Community and its Member States, will pursue trade liberalisation between whilst building on 25 years of develop­ the EU and the ACP States as well as ment cooperation through the succes­ between the ACP States themselves, the sive Lome Conventions, is innovative in ultimate goal being a better integration many ways. of the ACP States into the world econo­ my. Negotiations for World Trade This Agreement addresses in a compre­ Organisation (WTO) compatible trade hensive way a broad spectrum of areas partnership agreements will start no of cooperation, ranging from enhanced later than September 2002. This two­ economic and trade cooperation to an year preparatory period will be used to effective political dialogue. It intends to strengthen regional integration process­ refocus development policies on pover­ es and the capacity of ACP States to ty-reduction strategies. conduct trade negotiations. A six-year period is programmed for these negotia­ It has a strong political content. Dia­ tions. The new arrangements will thus logue is at the very core of the new enter mto force no later than 2008. In Agreement, enabling the parties to dis­ 2004, an evaluation will be made of the cuss openly fundamental development situation of those countries (except for issues and any subjects of mutual inter­ the least developed countries) which est. Respect for human rights, demo­ have decided that they are unable to cratic principles and the rule of law are negotiate partnership agreements. The essential elements of the Agreement, as EU would then study the possible alter­ was the case m the Lome IV Conven­ natives in order to offer those countries tion. But a new procedure has been a new trade framework equivalent to drawn up for cases of violation of one their existing situation in compliance of these essential elements. with WTO rules. The new Agreement entails a firm com­ The new Agreement foresees an mitment on both sides to good gover- improved trade regime for all least 4 developed countries (LDCs), of which funds (EUR 10 000 million), will cover 39 belong to the ACP Group. the period 2000-07. The European Commission has made a political under­ taking to ensure, with those resources Both parties agreed on the interim trade and over that period, a significant regime to be applied between 2000 and increase in disbursements for the ACP 2008. The ACP States and the Commu­ States. Taking up this challenge entails a nity have asked the WTO for a waiver major overhaul of the old Convention's that will allow them to keep the present instruments and procedures, as well as preferential arrangements during this an in-depth reform of procedures and preparatory period. implementatiOn modalities on both sides. As regards financial cooperation, a number of radical changes were also The financial protocol will be adjusted introduced. The allocation of funds will every five years. The ACP-EC Council be based not only on an assessment of of Ministers will be able to review regu­ each country's needs but also of its per­ larly the procedures for implementing formance. A new system of rolling pro­ cooperation and the approaches taken to gramming was put in place, allowmg development strategies. This new the Community and beneficiary country approach will make for greater flexibili­ regularly to adjust their cooperation ty and allow countries to learn from programme. Instruments of cooperation experience and adapt the system of will be rationalised. An investment cooperation to changing situations and facility was created to support the requirements. development of the private sector. The system for the stabilisation of ACP and The decision to implement the Agree­ OCT export earnings (Stabex) and the ment for a penod of 20 years is a sign of special financing facility for ACP and the determination of both parties that OCT mining products (Sysmin) will be the ACP-EC partnership should be a abandoned. Considering the vulnerabili­ long-term relationship. ty of the ACP economies to fluctuations in export eammgs, it was agreed to take into account the consequences of such fluctuations, but in a much more coher­ ent manner in the programming process and with a view to supporting general or sectoral reform efforts. The ninth European Development Fund (EDF) will be worth EUR 13 500 mil­ lion, of which EUR 10 000 million is in­ tended for the long-term financial enve­ lope, EUR 1 300 million for the regional envelope and EUR 2 200 million for the investment facility. On top of this comes EUR 1 700 million in European Invest­ ment Bank (EIB) loans. The total will therefore be EUR 15 200 million. It has been agreed that this amount, plus the outstanding balances of previous 5 II. Overview of the work of the Joint ACP-EC Ministerial the ACP-EC institutions Committee on Trade; 1. Council of Ministers (1) • the compendium on cooperation strategies; (a) The ACP-EC Council of Ministers held its 25th session in Cotonou, Benin, on • the 1999 annual report of the 22 June 2000. ACP-EC Council of Ministers. (i) Under the 'A' items the Council: (ii) During a discussion on the various aspects of ACP-EC cooperation, under 'B' items of the agenda, the - adopted the formal and informal Council addressed, in particular, the titles of the Partnership Agree­ following questions. ment: Trade cooperation • formal name: (a) Implementation of the Agree­ 'Partnership Agreement between ment on Sanitary and Phytosani­ the members of the African, tary Measures (SPS) on fish and Caribbean and Pacific Group of pesticides States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other • Fish part, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000'; While sharing the concern for human health, the ACP States insisted that the • informal name: measures taken by the Community be proportionate to the actual risks and that the procedures mtended to resolve the 'the Cotonou Agreement'; trade difficulties encountered by the ACP States be applied swiftly.
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