EU/ACP relations for the 21st century
At its plenary session of 10 July 1997, the Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities (ESC) adopted an opinion on the Green Paper on "Relations between the European Union and the ACP countries at the dawn of the 21st century". The ESC recommends the extension of the partnership to include new actors, in particular the economic and social sectors, and the setting up of joint economic and social committees charged with ensuring the validity of development programmes and their responsiveness to the needs and expectations of the partner countries. The Committee calls for the renewal and reinforcement of the ACP Convention, with priority to be given to the following areas of cooperation: - Education and training, in particular for women; - Support to the private sector and business enterprise; - Protection of the environment, development of an agricultural system adapted to the needs of the population, urban planning, applied research, dissemination of new technologies and culture.