what future for the acp eu relations beyond 2020?
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What future for the ACP-EU relations beyond 2020 Geert Laporte, ECDPM Presentation to the Joint EU-ACP Parliamentary Assembly Political Affairs Committee, 26 May 2012TRANSCRIPT
What future for the ACP-EU relations
beyond 2020?Joint EU-ACP Parliamentary Assembly. Political Affairs Committee, Horsens,
Denmark, 26 May 2012
Geert Laporte, Deputy Director, European Centre for Development Policy Management
Independent foundation working on ACP-EU for more than 25 years:
1. Non-partisan facilitation of dialogue among ACP and EU
2. Practical and policy relevant analysis3. Systematic linking with key players in the EU
and the ACP through networks and partnerships
4. Capacity building in the ACP to bring more balance in the partnership
ECDPM
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1.The rapidly changing global, EU and ACP landscape and the impact on ACP-EU relations
1.Building blocks for renewed common interests between the ACP and the EU beyond 2020
1.The way forward: promoting a constructive and open debate
Structure of presentation
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1. THE RAPIDLY CHANGING GLOBAL, EU AND ACP LANDSCAPE
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• Alternative to traditional partners (EU)• New opportunities for investment, trade and
technical assistance• Pragmatism: effective and quick delivery, less
strings attached• Overall positive vision on potential of ACP/Africa• Suspicion: focus on access to raw materials, less
on long term sustainable development vision • No clear interest in the ACP as a Group
Emerging players: between new hopes and…suspicion?
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• Ambition to become a more prominent polictical player at global level… but…
• …declining influence because of economic and financial crisis
• Less importance given to the ACP Group in the EU’s external action
• EU ambition to build relations with homogenous regional groupings and to develop regional strategies
•
The EU Post Lisbon
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•“Post-colonial configuration with lack of internal coherence”
•“Overly dependent on EU aid”
•“No political weight at global level”
ACP: between negative perceptions….
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•Strong growth in many ACP countries•ACP (sub) regions and countries with growing influence•More open debates on internal weaknesses of the Group•Willingness to tackle longstanding issues affecting credibility (e.g financing of the Group)
…and recent positive changes
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•Perception of a “donor-recipient relationship” predominantly focused on aid •Increasing tensions between ACP and EU (EPAs, perception of paternalism and double standards)•Few examples of EU and ACP acting together as coherent groupings in multilateral fora
ACP-EU Partnership under stress
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2. BUILDING BLOCKS FOR RENEWED COMMON INTERESTS BETWEEN ACP AND EU
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•40 years of unique contractual partnership, common values, joint institutions and dialogue,… •Shared concern over need for “humanisation’’ of globalisation•Size matters: potentially strong diplomatic capital at global level (80 + 27 =117 countries)
What do ACP and EU have in common?
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• Strengthen value added of the ACP as a Group (e.g climate change, trade and regional integration,…)
• Demonstrate that ACP Group is the “best vehicle” to defend the interests of its members in clearly defined areas
• Reduce dependency of the EU and move into a political partnership of peers based on real common interests
How to strengthen the relevance of the ACP Group in a multi-polar world? (1)
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• Expand relations beyond the EU (BRICS, South-South,…)
• Become a recognised global player with representations in different parts of the world
• Strengthen internal capacities and finance own institutions
• Move beyond political correctness and be as realistic as possible
How to strengthen the relevance of the ACP Group in a multi-polar world (2)?
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• EU in economic crisis might have an interest to keep up a unique partnership with a large group of countries (80 ACP + 27 EU = more than half of all countries worldwide)
• Balance of power and interests could change between now and 2020
Why could/should the EU remain interested in the ACP Group?
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• Several future scenarios have been launched
• First things first: need for a solid political economy analysis based on a clear articulation of interests and demonstration of tangible results of 40 years of partnership
How relevant are initial scenarios for the future of the ACP and the ACP-EU Partnership?
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3. THE WAY FORWARD: PROMOTING A CONSTRUCTIVE AND OPEN DEBATE
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• ACP Ambassadorial Working Group on future perspectives in Brussels (+ ACP/UNDP study)
• DEVCO-EEAS Working Group• Initial reflections in individual EU
member states• Civil society (CONCORD)• Joint Parliamentary Assembly
The debate has started at different levels
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1. Start prospective thinking on Post 2020 now while making the best out of Cotonou
2. Make an analysis of EU strategic interests Post Lisbon and of emerging ACP strategy
3. Define complementarity ACP with AU/RECs4. Take stock of perspectives in the ACP and the
EU member states (beyond Brussels involving also non-official perspectives + parliaments)
5. Elaborate realistic scenarios for future ACP-EU relations after having completed a solid political economy and results analysis
Some suggestions for follow-up of the process
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