Common and intersecting interests: EU-Caribbean relations and the post-Cotonou EU-ACP partnership

Abstract

ABSTRACT The expiration of the Cotonou Agreement in February 2020 paved the way to a comprehensive review of the longstanding partnership between the European Union (EU) and the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States. Following an intense and contentious preparatory process, the EU’s proposal for an unprecedented cooperation framework, consisting of a general part and three regional pillars, was reluctantly accepted by the ACP Group. Official talks started in September 2018, but proceeded slower than expected, with delays attributable to organisational issues rather than the substance of negotiations, yet some divergences still emerged. This article investigates dynamics within and between the EU and the ACP Group, but concentrates on EU-Caribbean relations. In particular, it points to the interplay of common and intersecting interests, the former in relation to the promotion of multilateralism, citizen security, and environmental sustainability, the later with regard to economic development and financial governance. Nevertheless, on the basis of the negotiations for a post-Cotonou Agreement, it concludes that any claims that the two sides are drifting away are unwarranted and in fact their partnership – in spite of various external threats and some uncertainties on how to frame it – appears solid.