New partnership agreement strengthens cooperation between EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific countries

The Government proposes that Parliament approve the partnership agreement between the European Union and its Member States and the members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), also known as the Samoa Agreement.

This is a comprehensive partnership agreement covering the same regions as its predecessor and comprising a general part applicable to all parties and three regional protocols. The agreement covers a wide range of areas, including democracy and human rights, sustainable economic growth and development, climate issues, human and social development, peace and security and migration and mobility.

It provides a platform for dialogue between the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and a legal framework for the operations of the European Investment Bank (EIB), among others, in all ACP countries.

The new agreement succeeds the Cotonou Agreement, which expired in 2020. Signed in Samoa in November 2023, it is often referred to as the Samoa Agreement. The Government's recent proposal concerns the national ratification of the Samoa Agreement.

A significant change from the Cotonou Agreement is that the new partnership agreement contains no provisions on development financing.