Definition of the Key Term
Lomé Convention & Cotonou Agreement are free trade agreements that allow regional economic integration by reducing international barriers to trade. Lomé Convention agreement was developed to provide aid to ACP nations and allow preferential access to exports from ACP nations. Cotonou Agreement was founded to reduce poverty, provide opportunities for economic development and integrate signatory countries into the world economy.
Article Summary
The article by Drieghe (2019), published in the Journal of European integration, presents an examination of primary data on the Lomé Convention that became available after opening the Convention’s archives. The authors examined different parts and perspectives of the Convention, including the Lomé debate and discussion of issues of market access and connections with STABEX to explain the dynamics of the Convention and how they influenced the outcome. The author suggests that the Lomé Convention is a result of intergovernmental efforts, as some countries such as France and the UK were the main drivers of the process. The article also explains that the Convention was shaped by geopolitical dynamics, as other countries like Germany and Netherlands were slowing the process.
Discussion
The article sheds new light on the factors that defined the progress of the Lomé Convention. In particular, the author’s in-depth analysis of several archival sources provides new insight into the intergovernmental character of the Convention. As the author suggested that the geopolitical dynamics shaped the Convention, the author provides evidence on the parties’ preferences, negotiating positions, and negotiating process. In conclusion, the author suggests that painting a whole picture of each county’s interests and preferences requires more examinations of archival data, including ACP states’ side. The author suggests that a thorough examination of past negotiations could provide additional context to current negotiations between the EU and ACP.
References
Carbone, M. (2020). Common and intersecting interests: EU-Caribbean relations and the post-Cotonou EU-ACP partnership. The Round Table, 109(5), 526–541.
The article presents a comprehensive review of partnership relations between EU and ACP. The author focuses on the EU-Caribbean relations and determining their common and intersecting interest.
Drieghe, L. (2019). The first Lomé Convention between the EEC and ACP group revisited: Bringing geopolitics back in. Journal of European Integration, 42(6), 783-798.
The article discusses the intergovernmental and geopolitical nature of the agreement, discovered after examining primary data sources that became available with the opening of the convention’s archives.
Keijzer, N., & Schulting, G. (2018). What role for the rotating presidency in European development policy? The case of ACP-EU relations. Journal of European Integration, 41(5), 657–673.
The article uses the case of ECP-EU relations to examine the dynamics between the Commission and Presidency to show the Commission’s trade-offs made with a goal of promoting European interest.