CEI-Iscte researcher Cátia Miriam Costa co-authored the article ‘Evolving Africa-EU relations: Changes in discourse from the Cotonou Agreement to the Samoa Agreement’, published in the Canadian Journal of African Studies, with Li Yichao.
The article analyses the transformation of political discourse in relations between the European Union and the states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACP), with a special focus on the transition from the Cotonou Agreement, established in 2000, to the new Samoa Agreement, officially signed in November 2023.
Using content analysis and discourse analysis, the authors explore the need for a new agreement, the changes introduced in the Samoa Agreement compared to its predecessor and how these changes reflect evolving political perspectives on both the European and African sides.
The study highlights the growing centrality of African countries within OACPS and the structural transformations in the way the partnership with the European Union is thought about and communicated, revealing a clearer alignment with the priorities and needs perceived by many African states.
Full article here.