Welcome to the European Parliamentary Research Service podcasts.

In this podcast, we'll review the successes and failures, the strengths and weaknesses

of the economic partnership agreements between the EU and the ACP countries, and map a possible

way forward. Stay with us.

What do Belize Burundi and Vanuatu have in common, apart from beautiful rainforests and landscapes?

They're all ACP members.

That's right. The ACP is a group of 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific states with which the EU has a special long-term partnership.

Trade is part of this partnership, and to enhance it, the EU has negotiated economic partnership

agreements or EPAs with these countries to gradually integrate them in the global economy,

while promoting sustainable growth and reducing poverty.

But what's the essence of these partnerships?

Well, in a nutshell, there are free trade agreements that allow ACP countries to export their products

to the EU, duty and quota-free, providing important safeguards to protect these countries' economies.

They are firmly anchored in the objectives of human rights and sustainable development and

cooperation that are at the core of the Cotonou Agreement, the overarching framework governing

EU relations with these countries over the past 20 years.

But negotiating and establishing these partnerships has proven longer and more complicated than

expected and has met heavy criticism from civil society and some governments in ACP countries

who see them as a way for the EU to push its own products into foreign markets. So,

what has been achieved so far? Well, results are actually rather mixed,

with nine agreements negotiated, covering over half of the ACP countries, but not yet all implemented.

Now, which are the agreements in application?

...