Europe and the South in the 1990s: Disengagement to the South and Integration to the North of the Sahara

external relations are founded in a mix of political and economic interests;

the existing pattern of Europe’s relations with the South no longer reflects its economic interests as a result of the changing international division of labour;

although the old pattern might have continued under the weight of government inertia, the single European market (SEM), Eastern Europe and the GATT talks will provoke changes;

the new pattern will be created by two sets of forces: the changes associated with the SEM and so on are likely to ‘downgrade’ some LDCs, including many of the poorest; but the higher profile given to issues such as public health, migration and the environment will act in the opposite direction in some cases;