77 developing African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries have declared victory in their negotiations with the EU over the five-year review of their trade partnership agreement.
"The ACP feels that we met the EU half way," a senior ACP diplomat told EUobserver.
The negotiations with EU development commissioner Louis Michel lasted until late Wednesday night (23 February).
Brussels had been pushing the ACP countries to agree to ratify the International Criminal Court (ICC) as part of the negotiations but some of the members were concerned that doing so would threaten trade relations with the US, who has refused to ratify the ICC.
The diplomat said that the EU agreed to a weaker wording of the document than originally proposed, with ACP countries "seeking to take steps" to ratify the ICC rather than "agree to take steps."
Brussels had also sought to add a clause tying the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to eligibility for EU aid, but the end result was a technical manoeuvre that allowed for a separate political process if an ACP country failed to meet the WMD obligation.
Mention of stockpiling and manufacturing of WMD was not including in the final draft, another senior diplomat added.
Also a new financial protocol was negotiated. The agreement was to base the budget of the next European Development Fund (EDF) on the current level, increased for inflation, for growth and the effect of the enlargement of 10 new Member States.
The Cotonou agreement links the EU and 77 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. It was signed on 23 June 2000 at Cotonou in Bιnin and replaced the old Lomι Convention, which had provided the structure for trade and cooperation since 1975.
A revision clause allows for the Cotonou agreement to be adapted every 5 years.
The revised agreement will now be signed in Luxembourg during the second half of June, said the diplomat.
By: N. Peter Kramer
