European community and the developing world: the role of the Lome convention

this study examines the charges of neo-colonialism which have been made against the EurAfrican relationship. After a survey of the principal reasons which have been advanced as to why the Lome Convention was not neo-colonial, it is concluded that these are un convincing and that the relationship was an example of European neo-colonialism. Because of the softening of the Lome Convention with financial aid, trade concessions and apparent equality for the ACP, the Lome Convention is here termed 'welfare neo-colonialism'.

It is always difficult to assess a political relationship still in progress, but the prospects for the continuation of the Lome alliance appear bright. Since the signing of the Lome Convention in 1975, two more Lome agreements have been negotiated. Lome II and Lome III were signed in 1979 and 1984 respectively, and these, which are briefly examined in Chapter 5, showed a continuation and incremental development of the relationship. Although these later agreements are mostly beyond the scope of this study, they followed the basic pattern of EurAfrican associations established by Lome I and its predecessors. The prospects, however, for the Lome relationship to live up to its ambitious ideals of equality and partnership or to make a real change in the impoverished condition of the now 66 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries are less hopeful.