The Rise of the Neoliberal Consensus

Before considering the sustainability of EU-ACP relations, it is important to place this relationship against the backdrop of North-South relations in general and the evolution of the ‘Washington Consensus’ in particular. Relationships such as that linking the EU and ACP do not develop in isolation and must be analysed as part of a wider process. For this reason, it is necessary to investigate the forces governing the interaction between richer and poorer states and consider how these came to be established. It is only once this broader picture has been painted that relations such as those governing the interaction between the EU and the ACP can be adequately understood. Chapter 2 highlights the perceptions colouring the EU’s approach to sustainable development; similarly, this chapter outlines the context and evolution of the Polity’s vision of a development strategy for the ACP countries within the broader international context. Together, Chapters 2 and 3 allow for a clearer interpretation of the EU’s priorities vis-a-vis its ACP partners.