Reaction to the EU-OACP Agreement

The new partnership agreement between the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPSs) is the framework that will guide relations between the two blocs for the next 20 years. CONCORD welcomes the fact that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and adhering to the Paris Climate Agreement will be among the key objectives of our future partnership. We call for the fight against inequality and leaving no one behind to be the guiding overall aim as our agreement is implemented. In particular, successful implementation of the agreement will require the continuous, meaningful involvement of civil society.

Although mutual partnerships require the interest of all parties to be taken into account, the EU-OACP agreement tilts the balance in favour of EU interests which, for instance, dominate in the economic and migration chapters of the agreement.

This short paper includes CONCORD’s views on the main parts of the agreement: it provides an overview and analysis of the main policy areas, including some cross-cutting themes that CONCORD believes to be essential.