The Rise and Demise of The Lomé Convention
An Experiment in Dialogue and Development Between Europe and Africa
Apr 19, 2009
The Lomé convention of 1975 marked a significant watershed in Europe’s relations with its former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP countries). Until its end in 2007, it remained the only thread binding Europe to the ACP countries, many of which were found in Africa. The European Community (EC) saw Lomé as an opportunity for ACP countries to achieve development through trade.
Significance of the Lomé Convention
The Lomé Convention came along with great expectations for African development. In his article “The Lomé Convention,” published in The state of the European Union Vol.3, Olyfemi A. Babarinde agrees that the signing of the Lomé Convention “was heralded as the finest and most elaborate expression of the European Community’s interest in the Southern hemisphere.”
Lomé saw trade as a short cut to development. To this end, it established structures to support and enhance trade between the EC and ACP countries. The European Development Fund (EDF) provided direct financial and technical assistance to ACP societies. The Industrial Cooperation Board (ICB) and the Centre for Industrial Development (CID) helped to facilitate technical and industrial cooperation. The Stabilization of Export (STABEX) scheme compensated farmers for short term declines in revenue.
Though the EC retained bilateral and multilateral agreements with other parts of the world, Lomé remained close to its heart. This was because of the historical, economic and strategic importance of ACP countries in the EC’s network of alliances. Proof of this importance was the several renegotiations of Lomé to meet with changing times. It was thanks to Lomé that Europe entered the 21st century as the most influential trading and development partner of ACP countries.
The Demise of Lomé: Reasons
The euphoria that greeted the birth of the Lomé Convention died at the end of the 20th century. The responsibility for this demise is shared by both the ACP bloc and the EC, and also the changing global environment. The ACP countries have been blamed for not taking advantage of the concessions offered by Lomé. In the case of Africa, the 1980s was considered a “lost decade” as sub-Saharan Africa entered the 21st century with all the taints and hallmarks of underdevelopment.
On its part, Europe was tempted to shift attention from Lomé in order to address other pressing challenges. The economic recession of the 1970s and ’80s greatly hampered the EC’s ability to fully commit attention and resources to Lomé. The fall of communism in Eastern Europe in the 1990s increased the EC’s resolve to “make Europe safe for democracy.” The process of European integration also presented new problems such as the crisis of integration and constitutional crisis. This significantly dragged the EC’s attention from Lomé.
The Lomé Convention was finally smashed by the pressures of changing times. At the beginning of the 21st century, the geopolitical landscape had changed significantly. China had stepped into the vacuum created by Europe’s absence in Africa. China introduced a new trade and soft-loan diplomacy which easily won over African states. About this same time also, the World Trade Organization mounted pressure on Europe to end its preferential trade agreements with ACP countries. Lomé therefore died in December 2007.
Upon its death, Lomé was replaced by the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) which are still being negotiated. Its decline notwithstanding, Lomé remains not only a historical landmark but also a heritage in Europe’s relations with the South in general, and Africa in particular. Its thirty two year existence was Africa’s first experiment in meaningful dialogue with Europe after colonialism. Lomé therefore provides many lessons to Africa’s partners as to the right path to development and co-operation.
