Postbrexit Dynamics of Relations with Africa: EU, Africa, and the New Cotonou

The thesis analyses the subject of privileged relations between the EEC and the ACP and the EU and the ACP. It also discusses the Cotonou Agreement, its current arrangements and the agreement that follows on from Cotonou. The thesis asks how EU-ACP cooperation has evolved over time and how support for development programmes, trade and political dialogue has changed in order to identify and assess the impact of Brexit on EU-ACP relations. The successor agreement to the Cotonou Agreement, now known as the Samoa Agreement, includes significant adjustments to the Cotonou Agreement and has become one of the most comprehensive multilateral international agreements of its kind. Importantly, however, the EU has been able to find a way to further its objectives and, despite the absence of the UK, which has played a significant role in the development of this relationship, has been able to create a new framework for the EU-OACPS partnership that focuses on addressing global challenges and further spreading European values through more than just economic cooperation. The newly formed Samoa Agreement shows that the impact of Brexit lies mainly in the redefinition of priorities and regional cooperation, the strengthening of European autonomy and changes in negotiating dynamics. Brexit has enabled the EU to update and reshape its partnership with the OACPS in the context of a new geopolitical environment where the EU seeks a stronger, more independent and strategic role on the world stage.