La dimensione istituzionale e la condizionalità nell’Accordo di Samoa. Uno studio retrospettivo per comprendere il futuro delle relazioni UE-ACP

Abstract

Institutional Dimension and Conditionality in the Samoa Agreement. A Retrospective Study to Understand the Future of EU-ACP Relations

This paper aims to investigate two fundamental aspects of the historical relationship which ties the European Union and the ACP countries. On the one hand, it will uncover the transition from “association” to “partnership”, observing the auspices that inspired it and its evolution in the post-colonial context. On the other, it will highlight the process that led to the affirmation of conditionality mechanisms, thus endowing a political dimension to a cooperation agreement originally intended to regulate exclusively commercial aspects. It will be shown how, on an institutional and political perspective, we are now facing new paradigms: that of regionalisation, which demands more decision-making power for the partner countries, and that of
joint participation in determining the fundamental elements to which the effectiveness of cooperation can be linked.