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opinion parliamentary committee draft, 12 February 2024

On the proposal for a Council decision on 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

Document INTA-PA-758849 · (COM(2023)0791 – C9xxxx/2024 – 2023/0464(NLE))

Committee on International Trade · Rapporteur: Samira Rafaela

On Parliament’s site PDF Word

AI:In short

The Committee on International Trade's draft opinion supports Parliament giving consent to the Council decision on the Samoa Agreement between the EU and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States. It says the Agreement should boost intra-African trade and African economic integration through the AfCFTA, and that Economic Partnership Agreements should help reach this goal. It welcomes the Agreement's pathway to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, and says EU trade tools should be mutually reinforcing. It calls for EPAs that reduce poverty and benefit the African population, for balanced trade and investment benefits, and for EU capacity building and engagement on new trade legislation. It welcomes the Agreement's human rights commitments and says its implementation should be gender mainstreamed.

Position. The Committee on International Trade calls on the Committee on Development, as the committee responsible, to recommend that Parliament gives its consent to the draft Council decision on the Partnership Agreement.

Key points

  1. The Samoa Agreement, signed on 15 November 2023, replaces the Cotonou Agreement and covers six priority areas including democracy and human rights, sustainable economic growth, climate change, human and social development, peace and security, and migration and mobility.
  2. The Agreement should benefit intra-African trade and African economic integration through the AfCFTA, with Economic Partnership Agreements as useful instruments to reach this goal.
  3. The Agreement's pathway to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, and the UN principle on free, prior and informed consent, are welcomed.
  4. The Agreement should foster sustainable development in both regions, with the EU trade toolbox, including EPAs, GSP, Aid for Trade, CBAM and the Anti-Deforestation Regulation, mutually reinforcing.
  5. EPAs between the EU and African countries should contribute to long-term sustainable development, reduce poverty, boost regional integration and benefit the African population and intra-African trade.
  6. The Agreement's trade and investment provisions should benefit all parties, and the EU should be mindful of a potential misbalance of benefits, especially related to sustainability.
  7. The EU should engage in capacity building where necessary and support science, technology, research, innovation and digital transformation in OACPS countries.
  8. The EU should engage with OACPS countries about new and existing EU trade legislation, including CBAM and the Forced Labour Ban.
  9. The Agreement's strong human rights commitments are welcomed, and it should help fight inequalities.
  10. The Agreement's implementation should be gender mainstreamed, including gender equality and trade-related aspects and gender chapters in trade agreements.
  11. The Committee on International Trade calls on the Committee on Development, as the committee responsible, to recommend that Parliament gives its consent to the draft Council decision on the Partnership Agreement.

Who is affected

  • African, Caribbean and Pacific countries: the Agreement sets the framework for EU relations with them.
  • African countries: EPAs should contribute to sustainable development, reduce poverty and boost regional integration.
  • OACPS countries: the EU should support capacity building, science, technology, research, innovation and digital transformation.
  • EU and OACPS parties: trade and investment provisions should benefit all, with attention to balance.

Figures and deadlines

  • 15 November 2023: date the EU and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States signed the Samoa Agreement.
  • 2000: year the Cotonou Agreement was signed for a 20-year period.
  • six priority areas: democracy and human rights, sustainable economic growth and development, climate change, human and social development, peace and security, and migration and mobility.

Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 26 Sept 2026 · Report a problem

Full text

Short justification 9 paragraphs

On 15 November 2023, the EU and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States signed the Samoa Agreement, which established the overarching framework for EU relations with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. It will replace the Cotonou Agreement, which was signed in 2000 for a 20-year period, and hence had to be extended. The Samoa Agreement includes six priority areas: democracy and human rights, sustainable economic growth and development, climate change, human and social development, peace and security, and migration and mobility. From the INTA perspective, the Rapporteur highlights the following points:

First, the Agreement should benefit intra-African trade and the economic integration of the African continent through the AfCFTA. Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) are useful instruments and should help reach this goal.

Second, it is welcomed that the Agreement includes a pathway to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, as well as the UN principle on free, prior, and informed consent. The Agreement should foster sustainable development in both regions, where the EU trade toolbox, including EPAs, GSP and Aid for Trade, but also CBAM and the Anti-Deforestation Regulation, should be mutually reinforcing.

Third, EPAs between the EU and African countries should contribute to long-term sustainable development, reduce poverty, and boost regional integration. These EPAs should benefit the African population and intra-African trade.

Fourth, the Agreement’s trade and investment provisions should benefit all parties. The EU should therefore be mindful about a potential misbalance of benefits of trade and investment relations with the OACPS countries, especially related to sustainability.

Fifth, the EU should engage in capacity building where necessary, and support activities related to science, technology, research, innovation and the digital transformation in the OACPS countries. The EU should also engage with OACPS countries about new and existing EU trade legislation, including CBAM and the Forced Labour Ban.

Sixth, it is welcomed that the Agreement includes strong human rights commitments. The Agreement should help with the fight against inequalities, and its implementation should be gender mainstreamed, which includes, among others, gender equality and trade related aspects and gender chapters in trade agreements.

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The Committee on International Trade calls on the Committee on Development, as the committee responsible, to recommend that Parliament gives its consent to the draft Council decision on 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.