Events

Abstracts

Oskar Chmiel (Center for Social and Economic Research, Warsaw, Poland).

How did we get here and where are we going? Identifying mechanisms of institutional continuity and change in the OACPS-EU trade and development cooperation

Although the African, Caribbean, and Pacific states’ (ACP; currently, the Organisation of ACP states – OACPS) relations with the European Union (EU) are an extensively researched topic, this study aimed to complement the existing explanations with a historical institutionalist perspective which strived to assess the extent to which the historical legacy affected the current institutional arrangements, epistemic shifts, and standpoints. It focused on juxtaposing the reasoning and circumstances behind the “problem of reciprocity” over the last seven decades through an analysis of the interplay between the ideas, institutions, and interests, and scrutinized how this interaction developed specific causal mechanisms inducing the institutional continuities and changes in the OACPS-EU trade and development cooperation arrangements. Apart from identifying these mechanisms, the study seeks to understand the process that has led to the current shape of OACPS-EU trade and development cooperation, with a view to the forthcoming ‘Samoa Agreement’. The study encompassed a mixed-methods approach which included process-tracing, archival research, the periodization in multi-layered contexts, qualitative and quantitative content analysis, and economic indicators. The research results should help improve the understanding of the mechanisms inducing institutional continuities and changes in the EU's trade-development nexus.

Keywords: trade, development, free trade agreements, reciprocity, causal mechanisms

Niels Keijzer (German Institute of Development and Sustainability).

(Re)inventing the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States

On the 12th of February 1976, the Georgetown Agreement that founded the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) entered into force, two months ahead of the international agreement that the 46 states had negotiated with the European Economic Community (EEC). The Group subsequently opened a permanent secretariat in Brussels to support its growing membership in pursuing their aims and facilitate the cooperation with its European counterparts. The organisation’s interactions with and financial dependence on its European counterpart stand in contrast with its long-held ambitions for yet limited track record in promoting intra-ACP cooperation and manifesting itself beyond Brussels. In 2019 the Group adopted the revised Georgetown agreement that changed its acronym to OACPS and emphasised its status as an international organisation, a revision that by and large was a rebranding rather than a redesign. The agreement was adopted amidst the negotiations of a new international agreement with the EU between 2018-2021. The negotiations and accompanying reforms resulted in the EU continuing yet changing its motivation for financial support to the OACPS with a stronger focus on cooperation at the global level. Based on the lack of consensus within the group on its new mission, limited member commitment to its structures and limited performance in EU-ACP international cooperation, the EU’s financial support appears unlikely to deliver on its formal objectives. 

Keywords: Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS); European Union; European Development Fund; International Organisations

Martina Tallarita (Ghent University).  

From Lomé to Samoa. Partnership as a normative concept in Africa-EU relations

Since the inception of the Lomé Convention in 1975, the concept of partnership has featured in the context of Africa-EU relations. From being defined as a relation between a donor and a recipient, development cooperation between the Organization of African Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the EU started to be addressed as a partnership of equals. From that moment on, partnership has been a buzzword in EU development cooperation and is used to define the overarching framework for EU’s agreements with the OACPS and with the African Union (AU). Both scholars and practitioners have frequently voiced concerns about the use of this concept, either for its vagueness or tendency to fall short of expectations when put into practice.  Through a literature study, a document analysis, and by adopting an innovative theoretical framework, this paper traces the evolution of the concept of partnership from its early manifestations in the Lomé Convention to the Post-Cotonou (Samoa) Agreement. This historical exploration paves the way for an in-depth inquiry into how the various actors engaged in this partnership conceptualize the notion of partnership itself. Secondly, the paper embarks on a normative analysis of the concept of partnership. Drawing upon the political thought of contemporary civic republicanism and its account of freedom as non-domination, I argue that in this domain of application ‘partnership’ hinges on a particular kind of equality, which is relational. Viewing the equality entailed by partnership as relational enables shedding light also on the significance of other dimensions of the relation related to underlying post-colonial power dynamics, such as asymmetry and interdependency. In summary, by focusing on the case of Africa-EU relations, this paper enhances a theoretically anchored and deeper understanding of the partnership concept in North-South post-colonial relations.  

Anissa Bougrea and Jan Orbie (Ghent University).  

Africa-EU relations: From Wall Street to Schuman Square? Development finance in EU-OACPS relations

 This paper critically evaluates the geopolitical and financialized dynamics of EU-Africa relations, centring on the reformed European Financial Architecture for Development and the new post-Cotonou (EU-OACPS) Agreement. Due to China’s emergence as a rival development actor, the EU is leveraging private sector support to upscale its development finance and bridge its funding gap. This blending of neoliberal and geopolitical motivations might seem contradictory, but not when taking a postcolonial perspective. The EU-OACPS Agreement, supporting a chapter on ‘Investment’ and an ‘Annex II’ on the European Investment Bank, signals an intensified focus on ‘investment mobilization.’ This raises the question: “What does the EU-OACPS Agreement entail regarding ‘investments’ in/for Africa?”. Even more so, in the context of (1) geopolitization and (2) financialization, within EU development finance. The study adopts a dual-method approach, combining document analysis and elite interviews with policy-makers. Our analysis identifies three crucial developments in the EU-OACPS Agreement that provide insight into the evolution of investment provisions: (1) the budgetization of the European Development Fund, (2) the consolidation and expansion of blending facilities and guarantees, and (3) the reduced role of the European Investment Bank. This transformation signifies a shift from traditional “aid and trade” relationships to investment-centred collaboration.

Keywords: EU development, financialization, investment

António Raimundo (University of Minho, Portugal, ISCTE-IUL, Portugal).  

The Post-Cotonou process and EU-Africa inter-regionalism 

The so-called ‘post-Cotonou’ agreement, concluded in 2021 by the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the European Union (EU), signals potential important changes to the long-lasting relationship between these two groups of states. In the past, this group-to-group relationship tended to be described as a loose form of inter-regionalism as well as criticised for a lack of coherence with other overlapping frameworks of governance, notably in Africa. This paper examines the implications of the ‘post-Cotonou’ process on the Africa-EU relationship, from an Inter-regionalism perspective. More precisely, it draws on the concept of regional actorness to explore whether the changes brought about by the new post-Cotonou agreement contribute to reinforce or, instead, undermine Africa-EU interregional relations. The focus is on governance aspects and on the agency of both the EU and the ACP/African side, which are put into a broader context. Complementing the emergent policy and scholarly literature on the topic with document analysis, this research will contribute to the literature on ACP-EU relations and regionalism studies.
Keywords: European Union, Africa, inter-regionalism

Jens Herpolsheimer (Research Centre Global Dynamics, Leipzig University).

The sites, actors and practices of inter-regionalism between African regional organizations and the EU: Zooming in on ECOWAS-EU relations

While research on Africa-EU relations has advanced considerably in recent years, analysis of inter-regional and inter-organizational relations often still remains at a rather general level. On the one hand, regional organizations and especially African regional organizations, continue to be treated largely as “black boxes” or unitary actors. On the other hand, many analyses draw on official documents only. As a consequence, the complexity of collective actors and their agency in inter-regional relations remain understudied, even more so when it comes to African actors and African agency. Therefore, inspired by spatial and practice approaches, this chapter provides a detailed analysis of the multiple, inter-related sites, actors, and practices of Africa-EU relations. Specifically, it studies the example of inter-regionalism between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the European Union (EU). In this way, the chapter contributes not only to a more adequate appreciation of African agency in inter-regional relations, but also to a deeper understanding of the complexity of inter-regional and inter-organizational relations more generally.

Oye Akinola (Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation, University of Johannesburg). OACPS-EU Partnership: Rethinking the Withdrawal of South Africa and Dwindling Commitments of African States 

Over the past centuries, Europe and Africa have enjoyed close socio-economic, cultural, and geographical ties. While there have been strains in their relationship over the past few decades, the European Union (EU) remains Africa’s biggest partner. The establishment of the Organisation of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS)-EU partnership and the signing of the Cotonou Agreement in 2000, were turning points in Africa-EU relations. Since the establishment of this high-level collaboration, the EU’s policy of development cooperation, as specified by Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, has fully recognised the importance of the OACPS-EU collaboration. African and EU actors have continued to celebrate the first legally binding comprehensive agreement that was ever signed between the EU and developing countries. Despite the initial optimism that trailed the formation of the ACP and its evolution to OACPS, the multilateral organisation has been unable to record significant successes. While there is growing skepticism about the continued relevance of the partnership, the forthcoming ‘Samoa Agreement’ may present an opportunity to revitalise OACPS-EU relations and strengthen trade and investment relations, and promote development initiatives and sustainable peace and security in member states. Thus, through unstructured interviews of key stakeholders, the chapter will interrogate the relevance of the OACPS-EU partnership and examine the remote and immediate factors responsible for OACPS’s dwindling performances, including the withdrawal of one of OACPS’s major powers – South Africa. It will highlight the prospects of the ‘Samoa Agreement’ to revitalise the partnership. However, the commitments of OACPS member states to other regional and global partnerships remain a huge concern to the future of OACPS-EU relations.   

Keywords: ACP, EU, Cotonou Agreement, OACPS, South Africa, Africa.