Cape Verde-EU ‘Special Partnership’ takes shape

Sensitive issues such as clamping down on drugs trafficking through Cape Verde to Europe, agreements allowing legal migration of Cape Verdeans into the EU and full integration of Cape Verdean nationals presently living in the EU were raised, amongst other topics, at the initial meeting of the Cape Verde-EU Ministerial Troika in Brussels, 27 May.

Victor Borges, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Cape Verde chaired the meeting with Andrej Ster, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia whose country currently heads the rotating EU Presidency.

The incoming EU Presidency was represented by Sophie Villette of France’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Stefano Manservisi, Director General at the European Commission’s Directorate for Development and Jean-Christophe Belliard, personal envoy of Javier Solana who is the Secretary-General of the EU’s High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) at the European Council, also took part. 

Back in November 2007, a ‘communication’ was struck up between the EU and Cape Verde aimed at specifically strengthening certain areas of cooperation under the umbrella of a ‘Special Cape Verde-EU Partnership.’ These are: poverty alleviation and development; good governance; security and stability; migration; regional integration; cooperation with the outermost regions of the EU; harmonisation of standards and technology with those of the EU and development of a knowledge-based society.

Cape Verde is a member of the EU’s Cotonou partnership with 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states.

The Cape Verde delegation put over during the Trioka meeting that it is especially vulnerable to environmental and climatic change making both food production and food security more precarious. And Cape Verde’s vulnerability is, “…aggravated by economic conditionalism due to insularity and the small size of the country as well as the continuing increase in food and oil prices,” read a joint Troika statement issued after the meeting. 

Funding for various projects under the ‘Special Partnership’ which will each  normally last a year, will come out of the €51M earmarked for Cape Verde over the next 6 years (2008-2013) under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) – the funding part of Cotonou. €11.5M has already specifically been allocated to the ‘Special Programme.’ The EU has already agreed that Cape Verde will be a pilot country for the EU’s new ‘Partnership for Mobility’.

The Troika meeting also reviewed political developments in various African nations. The return to political stability in Guinea Bissau was welcomed with a call made to the EU to make up shortfalls in funding for the elections due to take place 16 November 2008. Both sides also welcomed the recent positive political developments in Guinea with the appointment of a new Prime Minister. The EU representatives stressed the need for a firm date for the legislative elections and pledged participation of an observer team.

Also in Côte d’Ivoire, improvements to security and the political situation in the wake of the Ouagadougou peace agreement of March 2007 were registered. Parties were urged by the Troika to take further steps to restructure the armed forces. The setting of the 30 November as a date for the presidential elections was noted. The EU is currently assessing possible assistance for the election process.
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