The Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA) between the European Union (EU) and the group of 79 African, Carib­bean and Pacific (ACP) countries will expire in February 2020. In view of the adoption of a post-2020 agreement, negotia­tions between the EU and the ACP Group of States were launched in September 2018 on the basis of the EU negotiation directives and the ACP negotiating mandate.