The European Union is, as we know, a supranational international organisation with clear values and ideals and it assumes itself as an important part in the development of third countries, mainly with those that identify with its values. A clear example of this is the EU-Cape Verde special partnership, established in 2007, which aims to promote the relationship that has existed between the two parties for 35 years. Cape Verde had already been included in the Cotonou Agreement in 2000, which established a partnership agreement between African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries in various areas, ranging from human rights to the economy, or even the agreement related to fisheries signed in 1990 with Cape Verde.
However, the relationship between the EU and Cape Verde has always been deeper than what was portrayed in the Cotonou agreement, mainly due to cultural, historical, and socio-political links and objectively because Cape Verde is a very important state from a strategic point of view to combat drug trafficking and illegal immigration. This special partnership is based on 6 pillars: Good Governance; Security and Stability; Regional Integration; Technical and Normative Convergence; Knowledge Society; Fight against poverty. These pillars were strengthened in 2017 to include: Investment, Growth and Employment; Blue Economy; Public Administration Reform.
Cape Verde is seen by the EU as an adopted son , there has been a visa facilitation agreement with the country since 2008, it includes Cape Verde in the “Erasmus+” and “Horizon 2020” programmes, it awards grants to support Cape Verdean projects (around 500 million euros since Cape Verde’s independence), it has a permanent EU delegation in Cape Verde, in addition to holding ministerial meetings between EU member states and Cape Verde in order to put the existing special partnership into practice.
In addition to all of the above, it should be noted that Cape Verde is extremely dedicated to its relations with the EU, with the EU accounting for about 80% of its trade relations.
It is unknown to many, but Cape Verde intends to join the European Union, even though it is not a European state, however, and on its own initiative, Cape Verde already applies European directives to its own legislation, just as all European Union member states do.
Even more curious is the fact that in 2005 Cape Verde even considered an official request to join the EU, with a diplomatic campaign led by important Portuguese political personalities, including Mário Soares.
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