Publications /
Policy Brief

Back
Download PDF
INSIGHTS INTO THE EU-OACPS NEGOTIATIONS 2018-2021 : What are the implications for the future partnership?
Authors
Len Ishmael
April 20, 2021
Related topics: 
International Relations
Diplomacy
Geopolitics
Africa
Americas and Carribean
Carribean
Pacific and Oceania
Europe

The briefing document by Ambassador Dr. Len Ishmael created in collaboration with MDPD KAS reviews the process of the EU-OACPS negotiations, reviews the process of the EU-OACPS negotiations, with a view to providing insights on the following issues:

- The challenges and bottlenecks in the process and those issues that have created tension.

- The future roles of the African Union (AU) and #OACPS Secretariats in the EU-OACPS relationship, and in Africa’s relationship with the #EU.

- Areas of unfinished business that could potentially lead to problems of implementation.

- Observations from the negotiation process and lessons learned.

 

This document was originally published on Konrad Adenauer

RELATED CONTENT

  • The Fear of War in Europe - Part 2
    Authors
    Helmut Sorge
    July 27, 2026
    Is Europe Prepared for War?European public opinion is moving from treating a major conflict as unthinkable to regarding it as a possibility for which governments must prepare. Attention is increasingly focused on Russian hybrid operations, vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and the risk of fragmentation within NATO. European defence policy is consequently undergoing a rapid transition from post-Cold War complacency towards preparations for high-intensity warfare. Recent ...
  • The Fear of War in Europe - Part 1
    Authors
    Helmut Sorge
    July 15, 2026
    We Are Watching You In April 2026, the UK Ministry of Defence revealed that it had tracked a covert Russian submarine operation apparently intended to map critical undersea cables and pipelines in the North Atlantic and the North Sea. A Russian attack submarine and two specialised intelligence vessels operated by the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, commonly known as GUGI, were reportedly monitored for four weeks by the Royal Navy, including HMS St Albans and P-8 Poseidon ...
  • Download PDF
    Reconfiguring Asylum Governance in Europe: The Expanding Use of ‘Safe Third Countries’as a Structural Shift in EU Asylum Governance
    Authors
    Amal El Ouassif
    April 10, 2026
    On February 10, 2026, the European Parliament endorsed an asylum reform that expands the use of the ‘safe third country’ concept and introduces a common European Union list of ‘safe countries of origin’. This reform represents more than a technical adjustment of asylum procedures, as it signals a structural reorientation of EU asylum governance toward faster filtering of claims and greater reliance on external actors.The concept of a safe third country already exists in European asy ...
  • Download PDF
    Far From Disengagement: The U.S. and the Mediterranean Today
    Authors
    Ian O. Lesser
    December 18, 2025
    The return of President Donald Trump to the White House at the start of 2025 was expected to signal an American retreat from international engagement, especially in regions of traditional security interest, such as southern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. To the surprise of many observers around the Mediterranean, and perhaps to the dismay of some in the Trump administration’s ideological orbit, this has not happened. If anything, the second half of 2025 has seen a high d ...
  • Tous géopoliticiens? La politique internationale au prisme de l’opinion
    Authors
    Dominique Bocquet
    November 4, 2025
    Cette tribune a été initialement publiée sur telos-eu.comSi un domaine est supposé devoir échapper à la « démocratie d’opinion », c’est bien la politique étrangère, surtout dans la France de la Ve République. Elle se doit d’être articulée autour d’intérêts à long terme et de calculs savants, sans reculer devant la raison d’Etat. L’opinion des Français à son propos est rarement scrutée.Elle se révèle plus construite qu’on ne croit. Telle est la leçon du sondage Toluna-Louis ...
  • Download PDF
    Les relations entre le Maroc et l’Union européenne à l’aune du Nouveau Pacte pour la Méditerranée : les jalons d’un partenariat euro-marocain renouvelé
    Authors
    Abdessalam Saad Jaldi
    October 23, 2025
    Depuis plus de trente ans, les relations entre le Maroc et l’Union européenne (UE) se caractérisent par un équilibre entre pragmatisme politique, ouverture économique et convergence stratégique. Le processus de Barcelone de 1995 a marqué le début d’une coopération euro-méditerranéenne renforcée, consolidée par l’Accord du Statut avancé en 2008 et le Partenariat euro-marocain de prospérité partagée, faisant de l’UE le principal partenaire économique du Royaume. Dans un contexte régio ...
  • Download PDF
    Chancellor Merz’s First 100 Days: Germany’s Foreign, Security, and Economic Agenda
    Authors
    Bilal Mahli
    September 4, 2025
    This policy brief analyzes the first 100 days in office of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which have been marked by an assertive foreign policy, ambitious security reforms, and a shift toward economic pragmatism. Merz has sought to reestablish Germany as a ‘leading middle power’, emphasizing closer European coordination, renewed transatlantic engagement, and unwavering support for Ukraine. However, his approach to the Gaza conflict, characterized by alignment with U.S. positions and rel ...