Consolidated text of the Cotonou Agreement

02.05.2016

The ACP-EU Partnership Agreement, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000, is the most comprehensive partnership agreement between developing countries and the EU.

The ACP-EU Partnership Agreement, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000, was concluded for a 20-year period from 2000 to 2020. It is the most comprehensive partnership agreement between developing countries and the EU. Since 2000, it has been the framework for EU's relations with 79 countries from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP). In 2010, ACP-EU cooperation has been adapted to new challenges such as climate change, food security, regional integration, State fragility and aid effectiveness.

The fundamental principles of the Cotonou Agreement include equality of partners, global participation (States and non-state actors), dialogue and regionalisation. The Agreement entered into force in April 2003 and has been revised in 2005 and 2010 in accordance with the revision clause to re-examine the Agreement every five years.

The Cotonou Agreement was designed to establish a comprehensive partnership with 3 pillars:

  •     Development cooperation
  •     Political cooperation
  •     Economic and trade cooperation (for the period 2000-2007)

 

Consolidated text of the Cotonou Agreement

A consolidated version of the text of the Cotonou Agreement is available and can can be ordered on http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/the-cotonou-agreement-signed-in-cotonou-on-23-june-2000-revised-in-luxembourg-on-25-june-2005-revised-in-ouagadougou-on-22-june-2010-and-multiannual-financial-framework-2014-20-pbMN3012634/

 

A consolidated version of legal texts is also available in 22 language versions on Eur-Lex.


See Also