The Council of the European Union's ACP Working Party is scheduled to meet on 30 June 2026 at 10:00 in the Justus Lipsius Building in Brussels to discuss relations with the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the CARIFORUM-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Joint Council, according to a notice of meeting and provisional agenda published on 25 June 2026.
The meeting will open with the adoption of the provisional agenda, followed by two substantive items: relations with the OACPS and the CARIFORUM-EU EPA Joint Council. The agenda also includes an "any other business" slot. Member States are expected to attend with a delegation format of 1+2 (one delegate plus two accompanying persons). The meeting is closed to the public.
The ACP Working Party is a Council preparatory body that handles matters related to the EU's partnership with the OACPS, the successor to the Cotonou Agreement, and the implementation of the CARIFORUM-EU EPA, a trade and development agreement between the EU and Caribbean Forum states. The meeting will likely address ongoing cooperation priorities, trade implementation issues, and preparations for upcoming joint council meetings.
No prior coverage of this specific meeting exists in recent records. The meeting comes amid broader EU efforts to deepen ties with African, Caribbean, and Pacific regions, including trade and development cooperation under the post-Cotonou framework.
EU member states will coordinate positions on OACPS relations and the EPA Joint Council, potentially influencing trade and development policy for the Caribbean region. CARIFORUM states may see adjustments in EPA implementation timelines or priorities. EU institutions, including the European Commission and the European External Action Service, will rely on the Working Party's guidance for formal negotiations. Civil society groups monitoring EU-ACP relations may seek transparency on agenda outcomes, though the meeting is not public.
The Working Party's conclusions will feed into the Council's General Affairs Council or the Foreign Affairs Council, which may adopt formal positions on OACPS relations and the CARIFORUM-EU EPA Joint Council. The next steps could include a joint council meeting later in 2026.