Lome convention : EU- ACP negotiations for successor arrangements a note by the secretariat

Abstract

The revised Lome IV Convention is due to expire in February, 2000. According to the ACPEU tradition, negotiation on the successor Convention has to start 18 months before the expiry of the prevailing agreement. This will make September, 1998 the time for the beginning of the negotiation. Preparations are under way in all the three regions of the ACP. With regard to Africa, collective preparatory work started when sub-regional groupings such as SADC, COMESA and ECOWAS met in their respective places to formulate their positions as early as the beginning of 1997.