ABSTRACT
European countries have been active in Africa for centuries. In the 1950s while preparing the Treaty of Rome, the beginning of the European Union (EU), it was France that insisted on special treatment for its former colonies. This resulted in the subsequent Yaounde, Lomé and Cotonou conventions between Europe and the so-called ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) countries. The original group of French and British former colonies has been extended to almost all countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, a number in the Caribbean and in the Pacific Ocean. Through the agreements, the EU gave non-reciprocal trade advantages to all ACP countries. Products from these countries, if certain conditions are met, have free access to the EU, meaning no tariffs or custom rights can be imposed. This is a kind of super-preferential system, providing the preferences of the GSP (General System of Preferences) to ACP countries. 2 The problem is that the favorable treatment for Africa has not really increased trade very much and this is one of the reasons for the EU to change its trade policy with respect to Africa, as discussed below.
