African, Caribbean and Pacific countries

The Samoa agreement

The relationship between the EU and its member states, and the members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) is governed by the OACPS-EU Partnership Agreement, also known as the Samoa Agreement.

This partnership agreement is the legal framework for EU relations with 77 countries. This includes 47 African, 15 Caribbean and 15 Pacific countries.

The agreement aims to strengthen the capacity of the EU and the ACP countries to address global challenges together.

It lays down common principles and covers the following six priority areas:

Human rights and democracy

Peace and security

Development

Migration and mobility

Climate change

Economic growth

The agreement includes a common foundation at ACP level combined with three regional protocols for Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific with a focus on the regions’ specific needs.

On 20 July 2023, the Council greenlighted the signature and provisional application of the partnership agreement, as the new legal framework for the next twenty years, succeeding the Cotonou agreement.

The new agreement was officially signed on 15 November 2023 by the EU and its members states and OACPS members in Samoa. Its provisional application started in January 2024. 

• The Samoa Agreement (EU official journal)
• Samoa Agreement: EU and its Member States sign new Partnership Agreement with the Members of the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (press release, 15 November 2023)
• Post-Cotonou: Council gives greenlight to the new Partnership Agreement with the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (press release, 20 July 2023)

The Cotonou agreement

The previous partnership framework, the Cotonou agreement, was adopted in 2000 to replace the 1975 Lomé Convention. It was concluded for a 20-year period.

The Cotonou agreement was initially due to expire in February 2020. Its provisions have been extended until the new partnership agreement between the EU and the ACP countries provisionally applied or entered into force.

The Cotonou agreement aimed to reduce and eventually eradicate poverty and contribute to the gradual integration of the ACP countries into the world economy.

It was based on three pillars:

• development cooperation
• economic and trade cooperation
• political dimension

• Cotonou Agreement

Joint institutions (Cotonou agreement)

The ACP-EU Council of Ministers is the supreme institution of the ACP-EU partnership. It meets once a year, alternately in Brussels and in an ACP country, and is comprised of:

• members of the Council of the EU
• a member of the Commission
• a member of the government of each ACP state

The ACP-EU committee of ambassadors assists the Council of Ministers and monitors the implementation of the Cotonou agreement.

The ACP-EU development finance cooperation committee examines the implementation of development finance cooperation and monitors progress.

The joint ACP-EU ministerial trade committee discusses any trade-related issue of concern to all ACP states. It monitors the negotiations and implementation of Economic Partnership Agreements. It also examines the impact of the multilateral trade negotiations on ACP-EU trade and the development of ACP economies.

The joint ACP-EU parliamentary assembly is a consultative body composed of equal numbers of EU and ACP representatives. The assembly promotes democratic processes and facilitates greater understanding between the peoples of the EU and those of the ACP states. In addition, it discusses issues pertaining to development and the ACP-EU partnership, including the economic partnership agreements. 

Areas of cooperation

1. Development

The EU supports programmes and initiatives benefiting multiple countries in the group of ACP states. It also has programmes for further regional economic growth and development for specific regions within the ACP.

Under the new long-term EU budget 2021-2027, the EU finances most of its development programmes for ACP partner countries through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI). NDICI will be granted a total financial envelope of around €79.5 billion (in current prices). The European development fund (EDF), which was funded by direct contributions from the member states, ceases to exist as from 2021.

2. Trade

The EU has negotiated a series of economic partnership agreements (EPAs) with the 79 ACP countries. These agreements aim to create a shared trade and development partnership backed up by development support.

The Council provides the Commission with the mandate to negotiate these agreements and has to sign the final agreement once it is finalised.

EPAs with African countries

Negotiations on the regional EPA with 16 West African states, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) were concluded in July 2014. The signature process is currently ongoing. Until the adoption of the full regional EPA with West Africa, ‘stepping stone’ economic partnership agreements with Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana entered into provisional application on 3 September 2016 and 15 December 2016 respectively.

• EPA with West Africa (European Commission)

Also in July 2014, negotiations were successfully concluded with countries in the Southern African Development Community. The agreement was signed on 10 June 2016 in Kasane, Botswana. It entered into provisional application on 10 October 2016.

• EU to sign economic partnership agreement with the South African Development Community EPA Group (press release, 1 June 2016)
• EPA with SADC EPA states

In October 2014, negotiations were successfully concluded with the East African Community. The signature process is currently ongoing.

• East African Community: EU to sign economic partnership agreement with Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda (press release, 20 June 2016)

Cameroon was the only country in the region to sign the EPA between the EU and Central Africa on 15 January 2009. On 4 August 2014 the agreement entered into provisional application.

• Central Africa-EU economic partnership agreement

In the Eastern and Southern Africa region, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe and Madagascar signed an EPA in 2009. The agreement has been applied on a provisional basis since 14 May 2012.

• Eastern and Southern Africa states-EU economic partnership agreement

EPA in the Caribbean region

In October 2008, the EU signed an EPA with the Caribbean Forum (CARIFORUM), a group of 15 Caribbean states. The CARIFORUM-EU EPA has been provisionally applied since 29 December 2008.

• CARIFORUM–EU economic partnership agreement

EPA in the Pacific region

The interim EPA between the EU and Pacific ACP states was signed by Papua New Guinea in July 2009 and by Fiji in December 2009. Papua New Guinea ratified it in May 2011. In July 2014, Fiji decided to start provisionally applying the agreement. Of the 14 Pacific countries, Papua New Guinea and Fiji account for the bulk of EU-Pacific trade. Samoa acceded to the EPA on 21 December 2018 and Solomon Islands on 17 May 2020.

• Pacific states-EU economic partnership agreement

3. Migration

Migration is an important aspect of EU-ACP relations. The framework for cooperation in this area is laid down in article 13 of the Cotonou agreement.

This article includes paragraphs on improving conditions in countries of origin and transit, legal migration and return of illegal immigrants.

In November 2015, the EU and the African leaders of the countries most concerned held a summit to reinforce political cooperation on migration. They agreed on an action plan, including 16 concrete actions. In addition, the EU Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa was also launched at the summit.

• Valletta summit on migration, 11-12 November 2015

Response to migratory pressures

The Council and the European Council are working to establish a comprehensive European migration policy

• EU migration and asylum policy