Originally, the Lome convention aimed to be the framework for genuine development cooperation between the Old Continent and its former colonies. It was an instrument which, without being a cure for all ills, provided substantial guarantees for countries that had been exhausted by years of economic, political and cultural domination by Europe. From this point of view, the development of small-scale fisheries in Third World countries is a vital issue. Will Europe meet this challenge? The future of relations between North and South is at stake.