EU-ACP negotiation: Conclusions of the Ministerial Conference, Brussels, 2-3.2.00

The ACP States and the European Union have concluded a new twenty-year Partnership Agreement. After eighteen months of in-depth negotiations the parties have reached a consensus on all the topics broached. The new Agreement gives fresh impetus to relations between Europe and its partners in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific and reflects a shared ambition to take up the challenges of a shifting international scene.

Poul Nielson, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, described the Agreement in these words: 'a remarkable, innovative achievement which faces up to the challenges of globalisation by setting out an integrated and comprehensive approach to development, poverty eradication, trade and political dialogue. This Agreement represents a major contribution to the effort to create international governance and promote North-South dialogue in the post-Seattle era'.