Provisional application of Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development between the European Union and Afghanistan

Further information:

This Agreement represents the first ever legally-binding framework for relations between the European Union and Afghanistan. It covers cooperation in a number of areas, like human rights, gender equality, development cooperation, trade and investment matters, migration and regional cooperation.

A regular political dialogue is set to be established for Afghan and EU leaders to discuss issues of common interest, address challenges and create opportunities for a stronger partnership. It also allows the establishment of a Joint Committee that ensures the proper functioning and implementation of the areas of the agreement that are provisionally applied.

Background information:

The Council of the European Union adopted a Decision in November 2011 allowing the European Commission to open negotiations with Afghanistan on a Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development (CAPD). Talks were concluded in April 2015 following the fourth round of negotiations and the CAPD was initialled in July 2015.

A joint proposal for the signing and provisional application of the Agreement was adopted in September 2016. The signing of the document took place in February 2017.

+ Brussels Conference on Afghanistan, 4-5 October 2016
+ Joint Communication putting forward an EU Strategy on Afghanistan, July 2017

The Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development (CAPD) between Afghanistan and the European Union provisionally applied from 1 December 2017.