This is the weekly e-alert on ACP-EU News.

Information provided in weekly e-alerts is available via daily updated RSS feeds which can be found on the ECDPM website’s News and Events page www.ecdpm.org/news.
You can view all information or select feeds according to specific topics of interest. You may find these easier to read. And they are also available to any organisation to post on its own internal or external websites. This e-alert and previous issues are also available in PDF format at: http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Content.nsf/7732def81dddfa7ac1256c240034fe65/2f9cc239d94a300bc1257344004ddd21?OpenDocument

I need to improve the quality of the weekly e-alert with information and analysis from beyond what’s available on the internet. If you have a moment to pass on anything that could usefully be included I’d be most grateful. It will be non-attributable of course (unless you prefer otherwise). If you provide information, then others will too with information useful to you.

All the best,

Melissa


New at ECDPM

*Last week's updates of "EPA Negotiations: Where do we stand?"
English: www.acp-eu-trade.org/epa and www.ecdpm.org/epa
French: www.acp-eu-trade/ape and www.ecdpm.org/ape
As always, we welcome any comments or suggestions you may have.

*Lisbon summit, the day after... Are Africa and the EU ready for a real change in their relationship? ECDPM editorial.
Will the Lisbon Summit and the new Africa-EU joint Strategy bring substantial change in the way both partners handle their relationship?
http://europafrica.org/2007/11/23/lisbon-summit-the-day-after/

*5 December. IEEI-ECDPM to launch EU-Africa Policy Oriented Research Network
The Institute for Strategic and International Studies, IEEI annual Conference in Lisbon will focus on EU-Africa relations.
The conference, to be held on the 4th and 5th of December, should cover themes such as multilateralism and foreign actors in Africa; violent conflicts, terrorism and fragile states; the redefinition of regional integration; foreign investment trends; ODA and new conditionality; the political dialogue EU-Africa based on shared values.
They will also discuss the launch! , in collaboration with the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), the EU-Africa Policy Oriented Research Network on the 5th of December.
http://www.ieei.pt/post.php?post=606

*26 November. ECDPM Director to Chair SID briefing on Policy Coherence for Development. Brussels
The Society for International Development briefing session will deal with the issue of Policy Coherence for Development. EU Development Council President Cravinho to address ‘Coherence in the light of Portuguese EU Presidency priorities’. Commissioner Louis Michel to deliver a speech as well. Paul Engel, the Director of ECDPM, will chair the briefing session. The timing is set to coincide with the publishing of the first ever European Report on Policy Coherence! for Development.
http://www.dgroups.org/groups/CoOL/index.cfm?op=dsp_resource_details&resource_id=44468&cat_id=6360

*29 November. ECDPM-SIDA seminar on 3Cs Prospects for Enhancing Effectiveness
Implementation and Impact of Coordination, Complementarity and Coherence in European Aid: Prospects for Enhancing Effectiveness
A seminar organised together with the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) to present and discuss results from the Joint Triple C Evaluation and their implications for the effectiveness of Swedish development assistance.
13:00-17:00 at Sida Stockholm
Following the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, the European Union's development cooperation pol! icies and operations should be led by the so called 3Cs principles of complementarity, coherence and coordination. The 3Cs relate to critical factors in the effectiveness of development cooperation. The Heads of Evaluation for External Cooperation of the EU Member States and the European Commission have conducted a series of “Triple C” evaluation studies to assess the implementation and impact of the 3Cs.
The Triple C studies cover several development cooperation areas: the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, assistance to trade capacity building, humanitarian assistance, country strategy papers, decentralisation and assistance to local development, as well as EU mechanisms for Policy Coherence. (For further information and to download the reports see http://www.three-cs.net) The seminar will focus on implications of the 3Cs for Swedish development cooperation policies and operations in the EU context.
http://www.dgroups.org/groups/CoOL/index.cfm?op=dsp_resource_details&resource_id=44469&cat_id=6360

*30 November. ECDPM Director, Paul Engel, discussant at OECD conference on how issues beyond aid policies impact development
The conference will be attended mainly by policy makers from OECD countries and a smaller number from developing countries; there will furthermore be a sprinkling of experts among the practitioners and decision makers. The conference will address development impacts of non-development (i.e., non-aid) policies. It will look at issues related to internet, innovation and development outcomes; in the afternoon, it will consider migration policies and development.
ECDPM Director Paul Engel will be a discussant on the panel discussing Improving assessment of policy coherence: learning from each other on what tools we need to assess better our results in PCD.
http://www.dgroups.org/groups/CoOL/index.cfm?op=dsp_resource_details&resource_id=44467&cat_id=6360

*17 December. ECDPM Director, Paul Engel, speaking at Agriculture for Development the Dutch Way
http://newsletter.schuttelaar.nl/agriprofocus/index.html

*The Cotonou Waiver. An Unlikely Doha Deal Maker. Melissa Julian, ECDPM.
From 2001, but interesting to re-read as it details how the current waiver was ensured in the WTO
With the waiver request firmly on the agenda, the ACP group effectively made its adoption a precondition to agreeing to the Doha Ministerial Declaration. The EU took a special interest in the issue and worked exceptionally closely with the ACP to achieve consensus on the waiver.
Arguably for the first time, the ACP have stood as a group in a negotiation forum other than Brussels. Thorough preparation, coordination within and outside the group, and negotiation tactics (having the item placed on the agenda at the last minute) were all crucial ingredients of success. Nevertheless, the role of other WTO Members was equally important: the EU was determined to avoid a repeat of Seattle, and achieving a consensus on the waiver won
the support of the ACP group in achieving this goal.
http://www.iucn.org/themes/pbia/themes/trade/training/Bridges%20Env%20Significance%20of%20Doha%20Declaration.pdf


General Reports/News of Contextual Interest

*Commonwealth Summit. Final Conclusions. Include trade and EPA aspects
Heads of Government reiterated their commitment to an urgent and successful conclusion to the DDA negotiations.
Recognised the fundamental contribution of international trade to global prosperity, sustainable development and to the elimination of poverty.
Noted what a strongly development-oriented outcome would involve
Encouraged Commonwealth members to extend Aid for Trade support to Commonwealth developing countries
Called upon the EU and ACP to put into place EPAs that constitute effective tools for poverty eradication and sustainable development and contribute to the achievement of the MDGs. They urged that EPAs take due account of capacity constraints, the need for adequate accompanying measures to be provided on a predictable basis to meet, inter alia, adjustment costs and other potential vulnerabilities and the safeguarding of policy flexibility.
They considered the EC’s unilateral denunciation of the Sugar Protocol as very regrettable and urged that the new trading arrangements enhance and improve effective market access to deliver long term economic benefits to ACP sugar exporters.
Called for improved delivery of transitional assistance to make the necessary adjustments.
25.11.07
https://www.chogm2007.ug/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=128&func=startdown&id=15

*Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit Website
https://www.chogm2007.ug/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1


Major ACP-EU Events/debates

*14 December. European Council
Annotated draft agenda
http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/07/st15/st15278.en07.pdf

*15-20 March 2008. ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Ljublijana (Slovenia)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/acp/10_01/default_en.htm

*ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly Website.
Reports, speeches resolutions fro! m the 17-22 November session in Kigali
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/intcoop/acp/60_14/default_en.htm

*EU External Relations Council press conference. 20 November
ftp://video:videofiles@fts.cec.eu.int/PRESS/audiovisual/mpg1/julian_221107/
To download the clip, right click on the links *.mpg and choose "Save Target As"

*EU External Relations Council
Brussels, 19-20 November 2007
Conclusions on:
-PREPARATION OF THE AFRICA-EU SUMMIT
-SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT
-EFFECTIVENESS OF EXTERNAL ACTION - THE JOINT EU-AFRICA STRATEGY
-EU RESPONSE TO SITUATIONS OF FRAGILITY
-POLICY COHERENCE FOR DEVELOPMENT
-MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT
-CLIIMATE CHANGE ALLIANCE WITH DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
-POLICY COHERENCE FOR DEVELOPMENT
ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS
-ADVANCING AGRICULTURE IN AFRICA
-RATIFICATION OF THE REVISED ACP-EU PARTERNSHIP AGREEMENT
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/gena/97190.pdf

*EU General Affairs Council
Brussels, 19-20 November 2007
-3 Cs
-Develop! ment Report Conclusions
-Relations with Cape Verde - Council conclusions
-Coordination, complementarity and coherence in development policy
-Development policy and external assistance in 2006 - Annual report
-The European consensus on humanitarian aid
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/gena/97168.pdf

A public version of the information provided herein, updated daily, is posted on ECDPM's website at www.ecdpm.org/news

Specific news items and ECDPM activities on Development Policy and EU External Action

Specific news items and ECDPM activities on ACP-EU Economic Partnership Agreement Negotiations