Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: This masters thesis discusses the recently concluded treaty between the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries on the one hand and the European Union (EU) on the other. This Agreement having signed in Cotonou, Benin, is known as the Cotonou Agreement. The Cotonou Agreement is the latest in a series of conventions between the two parties that have their genesis in the late 1950s. The primary goal of this work was to find out to what extent, if at all, the newly signed Agreement is likely to contribute to the economic renaissance of the ACP countries. In so doing it traces development of the ACP-EU conventions right from their very beginning. The performance of the relationship to date is examined with a view to determining whether the lessons learnt therefrom have been incorporated in the new Agreement. There is a detailed analysis of the trade and aid provisions of the Cotonou Agreement. Apart from the economic provisions, other major provisions and developments of the ACP-EU Conventions are discussed with a view to providing a wholesome picture. Inhaltsverzeichnis:Table of Contents: Abbreviationsiv Table oftreatiesvi Table ofcasesviii 1.Introduction1 2.Historical antecedents of the Cotonou Agreement3 2.1The early associational arrangements3 2.1.1Overseas Countries and Territories3 2.1.2Yaounde I6 2.1.3Yaounde II7 2.1.4The Lagos and Arusha Conventions8 2.2The Lome Conventions9 2.2.1Lome I9 2.2.2Lome II12 2.2.3Lome III13 2.2.4Lome IV14 2.2.5RevisedLome IV16 2.3Evaluation of the economic impact of the Lome Conventions to date19 2.3.1Introduction20 2.3.2Extra Lome Convention constraints22 2.3.3Lome Convention constraints23 3.The GreenPaper27 4.The Cotonou Agreement29 4.1Introduction29 4.2The novel commercial framework32 4.2.1Trade Preferences32 4.2.1.1Non-reciprocal trade preferences33 4.2.1.2Conformity with WTO rules37 4.2.2New trade agreements43 4.2.3Regional integration46 4.2.4Rules of origin50 4.2.5The commodity protocols52 4.2.6Trade in services and trade related areas53 4.3Financial co-operation55 4.3.1Development finance co-operation55 4.3.2STABEX / SYSMIN57 4.3.3ACP countries debt59 4.3.4Private sector support60 5.Conclusion62 Bibliography66

Human rights, democracy and governance concerns are prominent elements in the development cooperation policy of the European Community. The relations between the European Community (EC) and 71 developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) have proved to be a laboratory for developing ideas on these matters, for translating them into binding treaty norms, and for applying them in practice. The experiences gained in the ACP-EC relationship carry special value because they are the product of dialogue and joint decision-making between groups of developed and developing states. Therefore, 25 years of ACP-EC cooperation under the Lomé Convention provide a rich learning ground for anybody involved or interested in (the debate on) linking development cooperation to human rights and to human rights related concerns. This book explores the international law aspects of the subject. It first investigates the general international legal basis for linking development cooperation to human rights, democracy and good governance. Both the negative and positive ways of making such a linking (by punitive and supportive measures) are addressed. The book then delves into the evolution of Lomé treaty norms on the subject, and into the concrete human rights practices that took shape under them. It explores the contributions to and influence of both the EC and ACP states on those treaty provisions and practices. A comprehensive overview is provided of the support measures and sanctions resorted to in response to the human rights situation in ACP countries. The book assesses the overall experiences gained and presents a synthesis of factors that proved to be constraints or conducive to the efforts to integrate human rights fully into ACP-EC development cooperation. The insights gained could well inform similar efforts undertaken by others.

The EU has long played a central role in promoting economic prosperity and political stability in Europe. With twenty-seven countries, it is a powerful trade negotiator and is seen by many as a growing force for global security and welfare. But does the EU giant have feet of clay? Is it recognized as a legitimate political and social project by its own citizens? How well does it respond to global challenges, such as environmental degradation and terrorism? How successful is it in projecting its image as a promoter of human rights, of conflict prevention, social justice, development cooperation, environmental protection and multilateralism? This volume contributes to the debate about the changing face of Europe and the way it works, not just internally, but also with the rest of the world. It first explores the merits of fostering inclusive multicultural citizenship and religious pluralism in Europe, the necessity of reinventing the EU from below, and the urgency of addressing EU internal migration problems. It then examines the new role of the EU in world politics and how other countries view it in terms of hard and soft power. Can the EU inspire by its development aid, conflict prevention, social and audiovisual policies? How efficient is it in exporting security to the rest of the world? The final chapters deal with the EU in the Asia Pacific region.

The completion of the Uruguay Round in April 1994 has not solved all the problems. The issue of regionalism versus multilateral agreements such as the Uruguay Round remains a crucial one, as is argued in the first five chapters of this volume. Successive chapters deal with specific issues such as green protectionism, technical standards, intellectual property rights protection, the effects of disarmament on international trade, the effects of abolishing the Multi-fibre Agreement and the external impact of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy. The volume, on the whole, takes up where the newly created World Trade Organization will have to start.

This book addresses the fundamental issues of human rights, gender, immigration, and the role of non-governmental organizations as providers of services in European Union development cooperation policy. It investigates the questions of the role of the free market and the future of Lome Convention.

"External relations is currently among the most dynamic areas of EU law. This volume gathers leading analysts to assess core recent developments in the field, taking stock of the current law and potential developments in major policy areas." "Together, these essays present a clear picture of the complex development of EU external relations, and of the struggle for coherence in the increasingly active, visible, and self-conscious role played by the EU as a participant in the international legal order."--BOOK JACKET.