Talking points in Togo

MINISTERS OF the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group and the European Union (EU) have gathered this week in Lome, Togo, for the 107th ACP Council and 43rd Joint ACP-EU Council meetings. Jamaica will be chair and co-chair of these meetings, respectively.

It was expected that at these meetings, decisions would be taken on the negotiating mandates and the formal launch of the post-Cotonou negotiations by September 1.

For onlookers like myself, some issues that could surface at these ministerials are as follows:

1. THE POSITION OF AFRICA – ALL-AFRICA OR ALL-ACP?

Recently, the African Union (AU) reconfirmed its March all-Africa approach to the post-Cotonou negotiations. This reflected the proposal contained in the draft negotiating mandate issued by the European Commission (EC) in December 2017. However, it does appear from the East African Regional ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) held in Nairobi, Kenya, in April that not all African ACP members and North African countries, which have a separate agreement with the EU, support the AU position.

Africa’s position could greatly influence the structure of the negotiations and determine whether the integrity of the ACP group can be maintained. This is assuming that the EU maintains its proposal for separate regional negotiations and an all-Africa approach in its mandate.

2. THE POSITION OF THE CARIBBEAN AND THE PACIFIC

The Caribbean, from the March CARIFORUM Council Meeting in St Kitts-Nevis, is supporting the all-ACP approach to the post-Cotonou negotiations, wanting to maintain the integrity of the ACP. The CARICOM Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR), at their meeting in the Bahamas, May 7-8, confirmed CARICOM’s support for the all-ACP approach. The Pacific Island Forum also supports the all-ACP approach. The focus within the ACP in Brussels has been on maintaining an all-ACP approach at Lome.

3. DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT FOR ACP

An important development since the beginning of May has been the EC’s issuing of its Communication titled ‘The EU Budget for the Future: A Modern Budget for the Future that Protects, Empowers and Defends – A Multiannual Financial Framework for 20212027’. Of importance to the ACP in this document, in the section on overseas development, is the integration into a common pool of resources of the European Development Fund (EDF) from which traditionally funding for the ACP was provided.

The EDF was a separate fund established in 1957 under the EEC Treaty of Rome to provide funding for the ACP and the Overseas Countries and Territories (OTCs) of EU member states. An important aspect of the ACP-EU post-Cotonou negotiations is expected to be development support as the EU is a principal development partner of ACP countries. This new EU Budget document gives the ACP much to reflect on, especially the Caribbean countries, which are mainly classified as middle income.

4. INFLUENCE OF CHINA

Literature on international relations is raising the matter of the increasing influence of the People’s Republic of China in developing countries. China, over the years, has been making inroads as a development partner into the three main regions of the ACP.

Reports are implying that China’s Silk Road Project (The One Belt, One Road Initiative) is looking very attractive to ACP countries. Indications are that China’s growing influence is a concern for the EU and other countries with dominant influence in the ACP regions.

5. CONSENSUS ON MANDATE

It appears that the EU is having difficulty in its Foreign Affairs Council meetings in Brussels arriving at a consensus on its negotiating mandate. It is reported that migration is a sticking point. Unresolved, this could delay the launch of the ACP-EU post-Cotonou negotiations.