COLEACP is a non-profit interprofessional association, representing ACP producers/exporters and EU importers and defending their collective interest. The main goal is to promote horticultural trade, especially between ACP and EU countries and enhance its competitiveness. Placing particular emphasis on sustainable development and poverty alleviation through incresed integration of small farmers into the supply chain.

Set up by the European Union at the request of the ACP Group of States, the Pesticides Initiative Programme, implemented by COLEACP , has two overriding objectives:

• to enable ACP companies to comply with European food safety and traceability requirements; 
• and to consolidate the position of small-scale producers in the ACP horticultural export sector.

A partner to companies, the programme aims to provide support at every stage, bringing enterprises up to date on European legislative developments and helping them deal with practical matters such as adaptation of their methods and the human and financial means required to implement them. The first phase was runnig from Juli 2001 until Juli 2008. Currently the projects finds itself in a transition phase, which will last until end of 2009.  PIP phase two should be up and running before the end of 2009. After the very positive results obtained, and given the socio-economic importance of the horticultural sector, the ACP States have made a specific request to the EC for the PIP Programme to be renewed for another 5-year period.