You're listening to the European Parliamentary Research Service podcast on the ACP-EU relations after 2020.

Political, economic, trade and development cooperation between the EU member states and 78 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, members of the ACP group is defined by the Cotonou Agreement.

But as this framework agreement is set to expire in 2020, a new relationship has to be designed,

building on the achievements and addressing the shortcomings of the current contract.

The EU's position is expected in 2017, but debate has already started. Stay with us.

Signed at the turn of the new century, the Cotonar Agreement is one of a kind, establishing a comprehensive partnership based on three main pillars, development cooperation, economic and trade relations and political

dialogue.

But the world has changed substantially since 2000.

Challenges such as migration, climate change and terrorism have become more prominent,

while the EU's preferential economic treatment granted to ACP countries is ceasing, except for the least developed ones.

The agreement has already been revised twice to adapt to the challenges of the time,

but now that it's expirate it is getting close, debate on a new framework for EU-ACP relations post-2020

is intensifying. But what's the balance of the current agreement?

According to the European Commission and the European External Action Service, it has

had a positive impact on development, trade and the economy, but its political dimension has

fallen short of its ambitions. For instance, political dialogue has not really contributed to improving

democracy or the human rights record of countries which do not share the same values as the EU on issues

such as LGBTI rights and international justice. And although the African peace facility financed by the EU

has contributed to the mitigation of many regional conflicts, political dialogue has not really

contributed to tackling the root causes of violence. On an economic key, and to comply with World Trade Organization rules, different economic

partnerships have been negotiated between the EU and ACP countries organised in distinct

regional groupings.

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