Hernieuwde samenwerking met ACP-landen (en)

The second revision of the Cotonou Agreement governing relations between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries should be finalised in March 2010. Progress in the negotiations is assessed in a report by Development Committee Chair Eva i Joly (Greens/EFA, FR).

The report also proposes improvements to tackle climate change, tax havens, migration, agriculture and "land-grabbing" (government-backed foreign investors buying up arable land in developing countries), mostly on the African continent.

"EU policy towards developing countries must be coherent and consistent.  Policy in areas such as trade, fisheries and agriculture must be designed to have sustainable development in the ACP countries in order to fight poverty, and guarantee decent income and livelihood, which is not the case now", said rapporteur Eva Joly in the debate preceding the vote.

Clearer focus on agriculture in ACP countries

Agriculture remains a neglected sector in ACP-EU co-operation, despite the fact that 60% of ACP countries’ population lives in rural areas. ACP countries are therefore urged to focus more clearly on agricultural development so as to ensure food security.  "ACP farmers need support and decent wages to produce for local markets and that they need infrastructures which can sustain trade and the movement of goods", said the rapporteur during the same debate.

On the issue of "land grabbing", MEPs urge Cotonou revision negotiators to avoid the adverse impacts of farm land acquisition, such as expropriation of small farmers.  "If this acquisition continues, not only would extreme poverty be further exacerbated but violent conflict and food riots could also take place. It is extremely urgent to tackle this issue by adopting guiding principles, which recognise, as an inalienable human right, the right of the people to control vital natural resources including land and water and other vital natural resources", stated the EP rapporteur Eva Joly.

Fighting tax havens and illicit capital flows

The European Parliament calls on the Commission and ACP governments to include the fight against abuse of tax havens, tax evasion and illicit capital flight as a matter of priority in the Cotonou Agreement.  An international binding mechanism would force "all transnational corporations to disclose automatically the profits made and the taxes paid in every ACP country where they operate". According to MEPs, effective and viable tax systems in the ACP countries could be a source of development funding, which could in the long term replace foreign aid dependency.

Include "circular migration" in the revised Cotonou agreement

The principle of "circular migration" should be included in the revised agreement, with the possibility of granting circular visas, say MEPs. At the same time, respect for human rights and equitable treatment of ACP countries' nationals must be guaranteed but "that the scope of these principles is seriously compromised by bilateral readmission agreements" , says the report.

Institutional aspects

As new Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with different ACP regions create new institutions like joint councils and parliamentary committees, MEPs are concerned that "increased regionalisation of the ACP-EU relations may represent a threat to the coherence and strength of the ACP group and may hinder the functioning of the existing joint ACP-EU institutions under the Cotonou Agreement".

According to Development Commissioner Karel de Gucht i, the European Commission is open to reconsidering its position on the possible reduction of ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly meetings.

Background ACP-EC Partnership Agreement (Cotonou Agreement)

The Cotonou Agreement is a partnership agreement between the EU and 77 African, Caribbean and Pacific States. It was signed on 23 June 2000, ratified by the EU Member States by 2003, and is valid for 20 years. It was first revised in June 2005, a revision that entered into force on 1 July 2008. the second review should be concluded in February 2010.

The agreement is based on 3 pillars: political dialogue, commercial relations and development cooperation. It builds upon the relationship between the EU and the ACP states established since 1958 in the so-called Yaounde and Lomé Agreements, which provided for the establishment of the European Development Fund.