Brussels, 5 June 2014/ ACP: Ministerial representatives from the 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific member states are scheduled to meet with counterparts from the European Union in Nairobi, Kenya in two weeks’ time to take decisions on aspects of trade cooperation, development strategies and development finance.

On 19-20 June, the ACP-EU Joint Council of Ministers – the highest joint decision-making body of the ACP-EU partnership – will address issues of migration, specifically visas, remittances and readmission, as well as trade cooperation, with regards to ACP declarations on specific products such as cotton and sugar.

Delegates will also assess the state of play of the Economic Partnership Agreements.

The Joint Council is expected to generate declarations on the post-2015 development agenda, and possibly on the future of EU support to private sector development in ACP countries, including a joint position on the Centre for Development Enterprise (CDE), which has long been the principal institution targeting the ACP private sector.

Council members are also set to take a decision on revising Annex IV of the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement on implementation and management procedures of the European Development Fund, under which more than €31.5 billion has been earmarked for development assistance to ACP countries.

In addition, members will exhcange views on renewable energy resources and climate change issues.

The Ambassador of Kenya in Brussels, H.E Johnson Weru has assured delegations that the Kenyan government has made all necessary preparations and gone the extra mile to ensure that the meeting is held securely and successfully.

The ACP-EU Council of Ministers is composed of a representative from each ACP State and EU country and a representative from the European Commission. The Council normally meets once a year to conduct political dialogue and adopt policy guidelines necessary for the implementation of the ACP-EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement.

– ACP Press