The ACP Council of Ministers,

– Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, from 16 to 18 June 2014,

ACKNOWLEDGING the willingness of the ACP Group and the EU to strengthen private sector development support in ACP countries under the 11^thEDF;

UNDERSCORING the need to define the relevant implementation modalities and the effective instruments that can efficiently support private sector development in ACP countries and regions under the 11^th EDF;

RECALLING that Annex III of the Cotonou Agreement outlines the CDE's mandate and areas of intervention (Institutional support, CDE and CTA);

RECALLING that in June 2012 the ACP Council of Ministers had charged the ACP Committee of Ambassadors with examining the management structure, as well as other aspects of the CDE, in order to make it an efficient and effective organisation;

RECALLING that the recommendations to get the institution back on its feet came out of the meeting of CDE stakeholders convened on 29 and 30 January 2013;

CONSIDERING that the various initiatives to restore the CDE to proper working order did not yield the desired results;

UNDERSCORING, nevertheless, the need for ACP States to have an efficient and effective instrument for future private sector support under the 11^th EDF;

DULY NOTING the European Union’s desire to proceed with the revision of Annex III of the Cotonou Agreement and the ordered closing of the CDE;

DULY NOTING the conclusions and recommendations of the ACP Committee of Ambassadors who met in a Special Session on 12 June 2014;

HEREBY DECIDES TO:

1. Proceed with the orderly closure of the CDE and the amendment to Annex III of the Cotonou Agreement;

2. Ensure that the private sector support projects implemented by the CDE in ACP countries and regions are completed in full;

3. Establish an ACP/EU Joint Working Group to ensure that the CDE is liquidated under the best possible conditions;

4. Set up a light structure capable of adequately responding to the needs of the ACP private sector while safeguarding the CDE's gains and best practices.

Done at Nairobi, 18 June 2014

Dr. Abdallah Omari Kigoda
Minister for Industry and Trade of
the United Republic of Tanzania
President of the ACP Council of Ministers