Skip to content
RECOMMENDATION (COM(2023)0791 – C90029/2024 – 2023/0464(NLE))

On the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Partnership Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, of the other part

A-9-2024-0147

Committee on Development · Rapporteur: Tomas Tobé

Official HTML ↗ PDF DOCX
✦ In shortFull textProcedure & committee votes
✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 25 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

The Committee on Development recommends that Parliament give its consent to the conclusion of the Partnership Agreement between the EU and its Member States and the Members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States. The Agreement, signed in Samoa on 15 November 2023 and provisionally in force since January 2024, replaces the Cotonou Agreement and sets a framework with a common foundation and regional protocols for Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The report says the Agreement is based on six joint priorities and identifies the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change as guiding frameworks. The rapporteur asks for a meaningful budget under the NDICI-Global Europe Instrument, links to the Global Gateway initiative, and the rapid setting up of a structured cooperation mechanism for stakeholders.

Committee position. The Committee on Development recommends that Parliament give its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement, and asks for a meaningful budget, links to Global Gateway and a structured cooperation mechanism for stakeholders.

Key points

  1. Parliament gives its consent to the conclusion of the Partnership Agreement between the EU and its Member States and the Members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.
  2. The Cotonou Agreement, signed in 2000 for 20 years, was to expire in February 2020; negotiations ended in December 2020 and the successor was signed in Samoa on 15 November 2023.
  3. The Samoa Agreement provisionally entered into force in January 2024 and provides a framework with a common foundation and tailor-made regional protocols for Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
  4. The Agreement identifies the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change as overarching guiding frameworks.
  5. The Agreement is based on six joint priorities, including human rights, democracy and governance, human and social development, inclusive economic growth, environmental sustainability and climate change, and migration and mobility.
  6. The rapporteur welcomes provisions on global alliances and international cooperation, with both parties stressing commitment to the rules-based international order and multilateral solutions.
  7. The rapporteur stresses development effectiveness and welcomes diversified means of cooperation, but says implementation needs a meaningful budget under the NDICI-Global Europe Instrument and efforts to maintain support for ACP partners.
  8. The rapporteur calls for strong links between the Samoa Agreement and the Global Gateway initiative launched in December 2021, and for mobilising other development finance aligned with development policy objectives.
  9. The rapporteur insists on parliamentary diplomacy and democratic accountability at all levels, with a role for the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the three new Regional Assemblies.
  10. The rapporteur calls for the rapid setting up of an open and transparent mechanism for structured cooperation to ensure effective participation of local authorities, civil society and private sector representatives during implementation.

Who is affected

  • The EU and its member states, and the Members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, as parties to the Agreement.
  • Local authorities, civil society and private sector representatives, who should participate through a structured cooperation mechanism.
  • The OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the three new Regional Assemblies, which have a role in democratic accountability.

Figures and deadlines

  • 20 years: the period for which the Cotonou Agreement was signed in 2000.
  • February 2020: the date the Cotonou Agreement was supposed to expire.
  • December 2020: when negotiations for a successor Agreement ended.
  • 15 November 2023: the date the Agreement was signed in Samoa.
  • January 2024: when the Samoa Agreement provisionally entered into force.
  • December 2021: when the Global Gateway initiative was launched.

Legal basis: Articles 207(4), first subparagraph, and 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.