The Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA) between the European Union (EU) and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries is expected to succeed the expired Lomé Agreement. It envisages the signing of Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) by December 2007 between the EU and the ACP countries. The EPAs, which will be the new cooperative framework under the CPA, are expected to adopt an integrated approach based on partnership and promoting cooperation, trade and political dialogue between the EU and ACP countries. One of the essential characteristics of this multilateral partnership is that it hopes to combine responses to the challenge of globalization and the development aid essential to ACP countries; with a strengthened political dimension. The key CPA principles are reciprocity, differentiation, deeper regional integration, and coordination of trade and aid.