Division 11 Structure and Organisation of the Negotiations

In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Cotonou Agreement and the relevant provisions of its successor agreement, once applicable, the period of negotiations will also be used for capacity building in the public and private sector of the ACP countries, with a view to enhance their ability to define and implement appropriate regional and multilateral trade strategies and policies. This will include measures to enhance competitiveness, to strengthen regional organisations and to support regional trade integration initiatives, where appropriate with assistance to budgetary adjustment and fiscal reform, as well as to upgrade infrastructure, and to improve investment. These measures will be monitored at regional level, where appropriate by the regional grouping engaged in EPA negotiations and the European Union. That regional grouping will inter alia provide suggestions to be considered within the national and regional programming dialogue between the European Union and the ACP countries.

Appropriate mechanisms will be established to ensure that Non-state actors in the European Union and in the ACP countries will be informed and consulted on the content of negotiations and that coordination with ongoing ACP-EU dialogues is ensured.

These directives will be reviewed, and where appropriate be revised, at least every 10 years.