Tag Archives: Africa

Cooperation and dialogue between the EU, Africa and China

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Cooperation and dialogue between the EU, Africa and China

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Development > African Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP)

Cooperation and dialogue between the EU, Africa and China

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 17 October 2008 entitled The EU, Africa and China: Towards trilateral dialogue and cooperation [COM(2008) 654 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

The Commission proposes a new tripartite approach to reinforce cooperation and dialogue between the European Union (EU), Africa and China. The Commission recognises that adding to bilateral partnerships in order to promote the stable and sustainable development of Africa is of mutual interest.

The EU, Africa and China should base this cooperation on common objectives, which are defined progressively and consistent with national and regional development strategies.

This new approach should lead to joint working on questions of development and increasing the effectiveness of aid. Sharing experience and good practice should contribute to this aim, in particular with regard to financial instruments, Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Firstly, the partnership could concentrate on five priority objectives:

reinforcing security and support for peace-keeping operations;
developing affordable and sustainable infrastructures to reinforce interconnectivity and regional integration. The EU-Africa partnership for infrastructures (FR) could contribute to this objective;
protection of the environment and management of natural resources within a context of economic and commercial growth. The Commission proposes to cooperate with the African Union (AU) and African countries in order to promote sustainable management, technology transfers and investments;
the increase in agricultural production, the quality of production and food security, in particular with a view to meeting the objectives of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (FR).

The tripartite partnership is an extension of bilateral political dialogues between the African Union (AU), the EU and China, as well as dialogue between the EU and China. The partnership will be based on regular strategic dialogue as well as specific consultations.

The Commission proposes to establish a network of exchange and information between the competent national and regional authorities. Organising an annual coordination meeting of development partners should contribute to the evaluation of priorities for cooperation whilst integrating the initiatives of international organisations, funding providers and civil society.

Context

During the summit held in Lisbon in 2007, the heads of state and government of the EU and African countries adopted a new joint strategic partnership. This strategy provides a global framework for strengthening relations between the EU and Africa and an action plan for the period 2008-2010. The EU is the largest provider of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and the first commercial partner for Africa. This partnership also aims to establish synergies with other partners and international funding providers.

Cooperation between China and Africa is mainly directed at commercial exchange, investment, infrastructure projects and aid in social domains and training. This partnership was reinforced by the adoption of a new strategy in 2006 during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Their respective methods for cooperation contribute to meeting the objectives of the partnership for development (MDGs) and the integration of Africa into the world economy.

Cooperation with the African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism

Leave a reply

Cooperation with the African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Cooperation with the African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Development > African Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP)

Cooperation with the African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism

Document or Iniciative

Council Joint Action 2007/501/CFSP of 16 July 2007 on cooperation with the African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism in the framework of the implementation of the European Union counter-terrorism strategy.

Summary

This Joint Action offers the support of the European Union (EU) to the Member States of the African Union (AU). Its objective is to improve the organisation of the capacities of the Member States of the AU in the fight against terrorism and to strengthen cooperation, in particular through the exchange of information.

The EU undertakes to provide financial support to the African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) with a view to improving the efficiency of the counter-terrorism arrangements of the African countries.

African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism

Since its creation in 2004, the ACSRT has been responsible for evaluating the terrorist threat in Africa and for promoting intra-African cooperation against terrorism. It deals more specifically with carrying out training measures, conducting studies, setting up databases for gathering, exchanging and analysing information, as well as for terrorism-related surveillance and alerts.

Project

The project consists in carrying out audit missions on national counter-terrorism arrangements and providing advice on reorganisation in the AU Member States. To achieve this, an action plan, drawn up by the EU, will be presented at the next seminar in Addis Ababa.

This seminar will bring together two representatives from the 53 countries of the AU, Morocco, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the ACSRT and each EU Member State, as well as the EU Counter-terrorism Coordinator.

At the close of the seminar, the African States will declare whether they wish to receive an audit mission or not. The audit teams will be made up of two specialists from the EU Member States and one member of the ACSRT and will be responsible for drawing up reports containing recommendations. If they are accepted by the audited countries, the latter will implement them, with monitoring by the ACSRT.

In parallel, the evaluations recording the possible improvements are forwarded to the ACSRT, which in turn sends them to the Council for communication to the Member States. On the basis of these evaluations, the ACSRT, with the agreement of the EU, can make recommendations to the audited countries.

Implementation

The Presidency, assisted by the Secretary-General of the Council/High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), is responsible for the implementation of this Joint Action.

The ACSRT is responsible for:

the technical implementation of the project;
the organisation of the Addis Ababa seminar;
contact with the States which have accepted the action plan;
proper management of the audit missions in operational and financial terms;
coordination of the project;
drawing up regular project evaluation reports.

The Council and the Commission ensure consistency between the implementation of this Joint Action and other external activities of the Community.

Terms and conditions

The project implementation budget amounts to EUR 665 000. The Commission is responsible for supervising the proper management of expenditure, supplying the information relating to the financial aspects, concluding a financing agreement with the ACSRT and informing the Council of any difficulties.

The Joint Action enters into force on the day of its adoption and expires 18 months after the conclusion of the financing agreement or on 16 July 2008, if no agreement has been concluded before that date.

Background

This Joint Action is part of the EU counter-terrorism strategy, the EU’s strategy for Africa, the Plan of Action on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism in Africa and the Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism, signed in Algiers.

References

Act	Entry into force	Deadline for transposition in the Member States	Official Journal
Joint Action 2007/501/CFSP	16.7.2007	–	OJ L 185 of 17.7.2007

EU-Africa partnership

Leave a reply

EU-Africa partnership

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about EU-Africa partnership

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Development > African Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP)

EU-Africa partnership

Relations between the European Union (EU) and Africa have traditionally been conducted through two regional groupings: the African countries that are part of the ACP group and the African countries of the Mediterranean. However, at the beginning of the new millennium, the EU launched a new dialogue with Africa to build a strategic partnership with the entire continent which would strengthen existing measures. The first summit between the EU and Africa was held in Cairo in April 2000.

Plan of Action

A Plan of Action was adopted at the summit, highlighting six main general areas:

economic issues (particularly regional economic cooperation and integration in Africa);
integrating Africa into the world economy,
deepening the link between trade and development at international level in order to ensure that trade liberalisation contributes to poverty reduction is one of the objectives of the partnership;
respect for, and protection of, human rights, democratic principles and institutions, the rule of law and good governance;
peace-building and conflict prevention, management and resolution in Africa;
development measures to combat poverty (in the areas of education, health and food security, for example).

However, these areas are extremely broad and initially eight more specific areas of action were chosen:

conflict prevention and resolution (including the problem of anti-personnel landmines);
regional cooperation and integration, integrating Africa into the world economy and trade;
the environment, including the fight against drought and desertification;
HIV/AIDS and communicable diseases;
food security;
human rights and democracy;
the return of cultural items that have been stolen or exported illegally;
Africa’s external debt (the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative affects African countries in particular).

Both parties meet regularly at various levels to ensure that the Plan of Action is being followed up. The three main mechanisms are: summits of the heads of state or government, ministerial meetings, which take place between summits, and meetings of bi-regional groups.

First ministerial meeting
5.The first ministerial meeting between the African and EU representatives was held on 11 October 2001 in Brussels. Some progress has been made since the Cairo Summit, in particular in the areas of regional integration, HIV/AIDS, food security, human rights, democracy and good governance.

New topics included on the agenda

6. Since the adoption of the Plan of Action, other important topics have been added to the agenda, including the creation of the African Union (AU), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the situation in the Great Lakes region and the fight against terrorism.

The AU and the NEPAD are two important initiatives launched by African states in 2001 which have the full backing of the EU. The AU was created by African states in March 2001 to replace the Organisation of African Unity. This political organisation provides a framework for, and strengthens, political and economic regional cooperation and integration between African countries and important institutions will be set up to achieve this. The NEPAD was developed by African states and represents a commitment on the part of the African heads of state to work to eradicate poverty and to promote sustainable development and growth, whilst playing a full role in global political and economic life.

The conflicts in the Great Lakes region have given rise to considerable concern among both parties. The EU contributes to the prevention and resolution of these conflicts in the region in several ways, for instance by granting aid within the framework of development cooperation (particularly the European Development Fund and aid from resources under the common foreign and security policy (CFSP). One example of this is the EU’s support for the inter-Congolese dialogue and participation in initiatives to reintegrate child soldiers into society.

Following the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States, a declaration on the fight against terrorism was published at the end of the ministerial meeting to express the will of the African states and the EU to work together to put an end to this scourge.

Development of the dialogue

The EU-Africa dialogue was the subject of a Commission communication in July 2003. The communication explored various ideas for relaunching the dialogue and proposed that institutional links be reinforced to help Africa deal with the political problems and development-related issues it faces.

On 12 July 2003, the African Heads of State or Government met in Maputo, Mozambique for the first meeting of the AU since it was created in Durban in July 2002. The European Commission was represented as an expression of the EU’s support for the AU and in order to discuss the EU-Africa dialogue. A great deal of progress has already been made with regard to human rights and democracy thanks to the formulation of common values and the introduction of penalties when these values are not respected.

Following this meeting, in December 2003, the EU Council approved a decision on the financing of a peace facility for Africa from the European Development Fund. This move was in response to a request made at the AU summit and is intended to support African institutions and peacekeeping measures. It will require cooperation between the AU, regional organisations in Africa, the EU and the United Nations.

In recent years, EU-AU dialogue has been stepped up and achieved results on a number of fronts. In 2005 the EU undertook to increase public development aid by EUR 20 billion per year by 2010, of which over half will be earmarked for Africa. A new Africa strategy was also adopted in October 2005 to support the continent’s efforts to achieve the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals, (MDGs).

This strategy proposes forging a strategic security and development partnership between the EU and Africa. The strategy focuses on key requirements for sustainable development such as peace and security, good and effective governance, trade, interconnectivity, social cohesion and environmental sustainability. New initiatives have been launched, most notably a governance initiative and a Euro-African Partnership for Infrastructure, which was launched in July 2006.

Under the Governance Initiative, the EU will, for instance, provide support for reforms triggered by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), a unique tool for peer review and peer learning in good democratic governance by and for Africans. And in the context of the Partnership for Infrastructure, the EU will support programmes that facilitate interconnectivity at continental level to promote regional trade, integration, stability and development.

Taking EU-Africa dialogue forward

Leave a reply

Taking EU-Africa dialogue forward

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Taking EU-Africa dialogue forward

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Development > African Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP)

Taking EU-Africa dialogue forward

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission to the Council: The EU-Africa dialogue [COM(2003) 316 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

The communication looks at how the EU can mainstream the new pan-African dimension into its cooperation and speaks of the need to build bridges between the different agreements that already exist between the EU and Africa: Cotonou, Euro-MED agreements and the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement with South Africa (TDCA). This could apply to the area of trade, to procurement rules for EU-funded projects, and to the programming of aid.

OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITY THEMES

The main aims of the EU-Africa dialogue are:

to strengthen political, economic and socio-cultural EU-Africa relations;
to eradicate poverty and attain the Millennium Development Goals in Africa, as well as implementing commitments recently made in international conferences (Doha, Monterrey and the World Summit on Sustainable Development);
to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Africa.

The EU-Africa dialogue is organised around eight priority themes in order to achieve concrete outcomes:

human rights, democracy and good governance;
prevention and settlement of conflicts;
food security;
HIV/AIDS and other pandemics;
environment;
regional integration and trade;
external debt;
the return of illicitly exported cultural goods.

The communication takes each theme in turn, reports on the progress achieved and considers what future progress might be made.

Human rights, democracy and good governance

Dialogue on these themes is conducted around the topics of human trafficking, support for African institutions and the fight against corruption.

The Commission adopted a further communication in October 2003 on governance and development which proposes a new, more pragmatic approach to the promotion of good governance.

With a view to promoting good governance, the EU also proposed an action plan to combat illegal logging in its October 2003 communication on forest law enforcement and forestry management. Illegal logging in some countries has become such a chronic problem that it undermines the rule of law and principles of good governance.

The EU also wishes to deepen cooperation with Africa in the area of human resource development, especially universal primary education for both boys and girls, which is an essential element of the promotion of good governance.

Prevention and settlement of conflicts

The African Union gives priority to addressing conflicts, as shown by the decision taken by the African Union (AU) in July 2002 on setting up a Continent-wide Peace and Security Council and the adoption of a work programme on peace and security by all AU Member States.

In November 2003, the EU Council approved a draft decision on the financing of a Peace Facility for Africa from the European Development Fund (EDF) in response to a request made by the AU summit in Maputo in July 2003. This initiative, designed to support African institutions and measures to promote peace-keeping, will require cooperation between the AU, African regional organisations, the EU and the United Nations.

It is also essential to include measures to improve governance of natural resources within the framework of the EU-Africa dialogue on conflict prevention. Wars are actually waged to gain control of valuable resources for the purposes of private gain and natural resources, which could be exploited to raise money for the public purse, have frequently been used to fund and prolong armed conflict. This phenomenon is now acknowledged as being a major cause of conflicts in Africa.

Food security

The EU-Africa dialogue adopted a joint document reflecting a shared understanding of food security and the role of food aid which provided a basis for developing common positions in the areas of biotechnology, sanitary and phytosanitary standards, animal diseases and agricultural research.

The future dialogue should focus more on the political dimensions of food security, tackling such issues as access to productive resources (land, water) and equity.

HIV/AIDS and other pandemics

The EU and the countries of Africa agree that there is a need to strengthen health systems in African countries within a comprehensive framework of prevention, treatment and care and to increase health financing by the national governments and the international donor community. They also agree on the need for a joint approach in the areas of tiered pricing arrangements, technology transfer and local production so as to improve access to affordable medicines.

Environment

While the fight against drought and desertification is considered the main priority, other priorities under this heading include:

international environmental governance;
cooperation in preparing national strategies;
the link between poverty and the environment;
the regional dimension of environmental issues;
strengthening the capacity of the African countries to negotiate and implement international environmental agreements;
jointly looking for ways to improve the Global Environmental Facility;
integrated water resources management;
the prevention of natural disasters.

Note the EU Water Initiative which promoted the setting up of a European Water Facility to help give people in the African Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP) access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. Similarly, the creation of a European Energy Facility for ACP countries demonstrates the commitment of the EU to supporting the provision of adequate, affordable, sustainable energy services.

Mainstreaming of environmental issues into poverty eradication efforts should be a basic principle in EU-Africa cooperation considering that environmental protection is not a limitation to development but the base for sustainable livelihoods.

Regional integration and trade

Since the first EU-Africa summit, the EU has stepped up its support for regional integration by contributing to the integration of African countries into the world economy.

The Cotonou Agreement, signed in June 2000, for example, attaches a high priority to promoting regional cooperation and integration. It made substantial changes to the existing system to bring it into line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules and to allow the ACP States to participate fully in international trade. October 2003 saw the opening of negotiations on new regional economic partnership agreements with CEMAC (the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa) and ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States).

The EU and Africa will continue their cooperation and regular dialogue on WTO matters notably in the context of the Doha Development Agenda with a view to mainstreaming the development dimension in all areas of negotiations.

External debt

This sensitive issue has generated considerable debate and arguments on either side. As a contribution to the dialogue on debt, the Commission has decided to finance a study that will investigate the sustainability of the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative. The Commission will ensure that the study reflects the views of the Member States, African countries, World Bank/IMF and other interested partners. Once this study is completed, the Commission is willing to table the relevant elements as a contribution to the EU-Africa dialogue.

The return of illicitly exported cultural goods

A set of guiding principles and concrete recommendations for action has been drawn up in the framework of the EU-Africa dialogue. The EU has established a preliminary inventory of all relevant ongoing cooperation activities between EU and African stakeholders.

The dialogue fosters adherence by all countries in the EU and Africa to the relevant international conventions, in particular the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property and the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects.

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF THE DIALOGUE

The communication also highlights ways in which Europe and Africa could initiate a more flexible, simplified, direct and political dialogue.

Potential lines of action are envisaged for strengthening institutional ties between the European Community and the AU:

at senior official level;
in bi-regional working parties;
between the AU and the EU Heads of Mission based in Addis Ababa in the framework of the regular dialogue and coordination for peace and security;
between the Brussels-based African Heads of Mission;
and, lastly, between the AU/EU Commissions.

Background

The dialogue at continental level between the EU and Africa began in Cairo in April 2000 at the first EU-Africa summit. The aim of the dialogue is to build a strategic partnership with the whole continent based on shared objectives and common values. These can be found in the Treaty of the European Union, the Cotonou Agreement and the Barcelona process, as well as in the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU), created in 2002, and in the manifesto of NEPAD, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, launched in 2001.

At a crucial point in time for EU-Africa relations, this communication takes stock of the dialogue between the two parties and proposes ways of taking it forward.

European Water Facility for the ACP countries

Leave a reply

European Water Facility for the ACP countries

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about European Water Facility for the ACP countries

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Development > African Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP)

European Water Facility for the ACP countries

Document or Iniciative

Communication of 26 January 2004 from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the future development of the EU Water Initiative and the modalities for the establishment of a Water Facility for ACP countries [COM(2004) 43 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

A WATER FACILITY FOR ACP COUNTRIES

The Water Facility for African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, is intended to serve as a catalyst by supporting development and reform of the relevant sectoral policies and through flexible and innovative methods of financing water supply and sanitation projects and programmes.

Basic principles

The Facility is based on three key principles:

Governance: The Water Facility is to concentrate its activities on ACP countries which have a sound national water policy or which are strongly committed to developing one, and on countries that prioritise spending on social sectors. It will help those countries to establish the institutional and regulatory framework necessary to attract additional financial resources;
Ownership: The facility is entirely demand-driven. It will be an instrument for supporting and deepening the involvement of ACP actors in the design and implementation of water policies;
Innovation and flexibility: In order to achieve maximum impact a creative combination of grants and other sources are envisaged to fund basic infrastructure. The proposed grants could constitute the necessary seed capital to get projects off the ground and be a tool in forging the public-private partnerships needed to increase funding.

Activities funded

The Water Facility will mainly fund two types of activity: improving water management and governance, and cofinancing drinking water and sanitation infrastructure.

The activities relating to improved water management and governance are:

institution building and support for reforming the sector;
integrated management of water resources at national level and at that of ACP river basins.

For the second category of activities the Water Facility uses flexible and innovative methods to finance water and sanitation projects and programmes for low-income users and socially disadvantaged areas.

Management of the Facility

The organisational structure for the management of the Water Facility has been set up within the European Commission, staffed with EU officials. The officials on this team are responsible for establishing implementing procedures for the facility.

However, in the preparation and implementation of projects to be financed, maximum use should be made of the expertise available outside the Commission, in particular through expert groups and collaboration with the European Investment Bank and other development finance institutes, and, where appropriate, the private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

The projects are selected on the basis of a call for proposals open to most of the state and non-state actors concerned in the ACP and EU countries. Proposals are selected on the basis of criteria defined by the European Commission in the call for proposals, which must be consistent with the general objectives of sustainable development and the EU’s water management policy in the developing countries and with the integrated river basin water management programmes, and take account of factors such as the implementing capacity of the partners and the maturity of the project.

THE FUTURE OF THE EU WATER INITIATIVE

The Communication also assesses the outlook for the EU Water Initiative launched during the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

It finds that the Initiative has made considerable progress, noting that the drinking water and sanitation objectives will have to be achieved within the framework of integrated management of the river basins.

The Initiative concentrates on Africa, the countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, the Mediterranean and Latin America.

The Commission considers that the progress made is not sufficient to meet the Millennium Development Goals without a significant increase in financing and improved mechanisms to help development aid attract other resources (private sector, development banks); the creation of a European Water Facility will serve both these purposes.

BACKGROUND

The Communication follows up on the EU Water Initiative launched at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in September 2002. The summit confirmed the objective, set in the context of the Millennium Development Goals, of halving the number of people in the world who do not have access to drinking water or basic sanitation by 2015.

Unsafe water causes more deaths than war does. More than 1 100 million people in the world have no access to drinking water, and 2 400 million do not have access to adequate sanitation. In Africa more than 40 % of the population is without drinking water, and even more lack appropriate sanitation services.

Related Acts

Decision No 7/2005

of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers of 22 November 2005 concerning the use of a second allocation of EUR 250 million from the conditional EUR 1 billion under the ninth EDF to be used for the second instalment of the ACP-EU Water Facility [Official Journal L 48 of 18.2.2006].
The Decision officially authorises allocation of a second tranche of EUR 250 million to the ACP-EU Water Facility.

Decision 2004/632/EC

of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers of 6 May 2004 on the use of the reserve of the long-term development envelope as well as resources from the Investment Facility of the ninth European Development Fund for the establishment of an ACP-EU Water Facility [Official Journal L 289 of 10.9.2004].
The Decision officially authorises allocation of a first tranche of EUR 250 million to the ACP-EU Water Facility and provides for the release of a further EUR 250 million.

Council Decision of 26 April 2004 on the position to be adopted by the Community in the ACP-EC Council of Ministers concerning a Decision on the use of the reserve of the long-term development envelope as well as resources from the Investment Facility of the ninth European Development Fund (EDF) for the establishment of an ACP-EU Water Facility [Not published in the Official Journal].
The Council provides that the reserve of the long-term development envelope as well as resources from the Investment Facility of the ninth EDF are to be used for the establishment of the ACP-EU Water Facility.

Council Decision 2004/289/EC of 22 March 2004 concerning the partial release of the conditional amount of EUR 1 billion under the ninth European Development Fund for cooperation with African, Caribbean and Pacific countries in order to establish a Water Facility [Official Journal L 94, 31.03.2004].
In this Decision the Council agrees to establish the Water Facility for ACP countries. In accordance with the provisions of the Financial Protocol to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement, the Council notes that the level of commitments and disbursements at the end of 2003 in conjunction with forecasts for the period 2004 to 2007 allows the release of EUR 500 million from the ninth EDF out of the budget of EUR 1000 million for the establishment of the Water Facility. The Council approves the release an initial tranche of EUR 250 million. Decisions will be taken later on the remaining sum.

EU Strategy for Africa

Leave a reply

EU Strategy for Africa

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about EU Strategy for Africa

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Development > African Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP)

EU Strategy for Africa

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee of 12 October 2005 – EU Strategy for Europe: Towards a Euro-African pact to accelerate Africa’s development [COM(2005) 489 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

The EU Strategy for Africa outlines a framework of action for all EU Member States aimed at supporting Africa’s efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In recent years considerable progress has been recorded in Africa, particularly as regards governance and economic growth. The African Union (AU), the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and international organisations have equipped Africa with political and economic roadmaps and a vision for the future. Nevertheless, Africa’s road towards sustainable development remains long.

A very diverse reality

Africa comprises different political regimes, historical experience and cultural, religious, economic and geographical contexts. Furthermore, areas of insecurity and centres of stability coexist. Some African countries have experienced, or are experiencing, sustained periods of peace, security, economic and political stability and democratic participation, while others remain mired in long-term conflict. Heightened instability is linked to a rise in transnational organised crime, resulting in an increased threat of drugs trafficking and consumption, human trafficking, smuggling of natural resources and arms trafficking.

Nevertheless, there is no shortage of growth factors. Sustainable exploitation of natural resources, agricultural development and investment in human resources create a sound investment climate. A number of African countries possess considerable natural resources which permit genuine sustainable development. Commodity-dependent African economies can reduce their vulnerability by acting against the long-term downward trend in prices and against fluctuations in world prices.

A fundamental driver of growth is a reliable and attractive investment climate. A country’s stability and level of governance, transparency, dialogue with the national and international business community, and regional integration are all contributing factors in economic development. New external players, such as Brazil, India and China, are increasingly attracted by Africa’s economic potential, while Africa’s longer-established partners, such as the United States, Japan and Russia, are showing renewed interest in the continent.

In these regions, interconnection is crucial to allowing people easier market access and reducing the costs of doing business. A regional integration process must therefore be developed to strengthen Africa’s position in the world economy.

Social dynamics

Human development also presents a highly varied picture. While several African countries have recorded impressive economic growth, a highly unequal distribution of income often prevents this growth from having a positive impact on poverty levels.

Job creation remains one of the major challenges for poverty reduction and social development, in particular for women and ethnic minorities. The employment situation is closely linked to literacy rates, which are gradually improving. Individuals’ well-being is also dependent on health and hygiene conditions. In particular, the HIV/AIDS pandemic is a heavy burden on many African countries.

Environmental dynamics

The African continent is environmentally very diverse. Climate change will further increase the strain on water resources, affect biodiversity and human health, worsen food security and increase desertification. Flooding and drought are common and are set to increase as a result of climate change, while early-warning systems are inadequate and disaster management is weak. Climate change adaptation is therefore an urgent necessity for Africa’s development.

The desertification process affects almost half of the African continent, the worst-affected areas being located along desert margins. Furthermore, Africa’s renewable water resources fall below the world average and several countries suffer water stress or scarcity. Africa also has 17% of the world’s forests, and deforestation, both for commercial timber and to make room for agriculture, is therefore a major concern.

The principles of the EU-Africa relations

Over the last few decades, the EU has concluded an increasing number of agreements with Africa, including the Lomé Conventions, entered into with the Member States of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (ACP) Group and since replaced by the 2000 Cotonou Agreement, the South Africa Agreements and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and Association Agreement.

So now is the time to develop the basic principles that govern the relationship between Africa and the EU. This Communication envisages three principles:

equality, based on mutual recognition and respect for institutions and the definition of mutual collective interests;
partnership, i.e. developing links based on political and commercial cooperation;
ownership, i.e. strategies and development policies being country-owned and not imposed from the outside.

The EU should engage with Africa’s three levels of governance – national, regional and continental – on the basis of the principle of subsidiarity: only matters which would be dealt with less effectively at a lower level should be reserved for a higher level of governance. The EU should enhance intra-African solidarity between these three levels and raise dialogue with the African continent as a whole to the highest political level.

The EU’s response strategy

The EU should strengthen its support in the areas considered prerequisites for attaining the MDGs (peace, security, good governance), areas that create a favourable economic environment for growth, trade and interconnection and areas targeting social cohesion and environment.

The EU will step up its efforts to foster peace and security by means of a wide range of actions, ranging from the support for African peace operations to a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention addressing the root causes of violent conflict. These actions also target cooperation in the fight against terrorism and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as support for regional and national strategies for disarmament, demobilisation, reintegration and reinsertion in order to contribute to the reintegration of ex?combatants – including child soldiers – and stabilisation of post-conflict situations.

Despite the progress made in Africa, the road towards good governance remains long. With a view to reforming the State, the EU will work towards building effective and credible central institutions, to which end it will define a Governance Initiative in support of the African Peer Review Mechanism. It will reinforce respect for human rights and democracy, develop local capacity and encourage the decentralisation process, with the aim of promoting democracy and development. It will also encourage African countries to sign and implement the main international instruments of crime prevention.

In order to contribute to the effective reduction of poverty across Africa, the EU will stimulate rapid and broad-based economic growth by supporting macroeconomic stability and assisting in the creation of integrated regional markets. Limited access to transport and communication services, water and sanitation, and energy constrains economic growth. The Commission therefore proposes to establish an EU-Africa Partnership for Infrastructure. Transport policies must also be harmonised through support to the Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Programme and the energy infrastructure must be developed along with integrated water management for its improvement in trans-boundary river basins.

When we consider that 40% of all Africans survive on less than one dollar a day, the EU must contribute to the establishment of social safety for the most vulnerable. In this context, it will support education, access to knowledge and transfer of know-how as a lifelong process going beyond primary education, and promote access to water supply, sanitation and energy, as well as the improvement of health infrastructures and the provision of essential health services.

Particular attention will be paid to employment policies, the promotion of cultural diversity and turning migration into a positive force in the development process.

As regards the environment, the EU’s activities will include the management of environmental diversity, the improvement of sustainable land management to halt desertification, the conservation of biodiversity, limitation of the effects of climate change and support for the sound management of chemicals.

Despite being the main donor to Africa, the EU should increase its financing substantially. In June 2005 the EU committed itself collectively to increase official aid to 0.56% of gross national income (GNI) by 2010 and to 0.7% by 2015. In particular, some €4 billion will be available annually for Sub-Saharan Africa and this Strategy for Africa should constitute the reference framework for the programmes and action under the 10^th European Development Fund (EDF).

This Strategy was adopted by the European Council of 15 and 16 December 2005.

Related Acts

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council – From Cairo to Lisbon – The EU-Africa Strategic Partnership [COM(2007) 357 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Creation of a Peace Facility for Africa

Leave a reply

Creation of a Peace Facility for Africa

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Creation of a Peace Facility for Africa

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Development > African Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP)

Creation of a Peace Facility for Africa

Document or Iniciative

Decision 2003/3 of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers of 11 December 2003 on the use of resources from the long-term development envelope of the ninth EDF for the creation of a Peace Facility for Africa [pdf ].

Summary

The decision to create a Peace Facility for Africa follows a brief conferred by the Council at the session of 21 July 2003, in response to a request made by the African Union Summit (AU), which convened at Maputo on 4 – 12 July 2003.

The Decision allocated an initial amount of EUR 250 million to the Peace Facility for Africa for a period of three years from its date of entry into force.

The EUR 250 million came from the European Development Fund (EDF) under the Cotonou Agreement. Of this, EUR 126.4 million came from each African country’s contribution of 1.5 % from its allocated envelope. The remaining EUR 123.6 million were transferred from unallocated resources (reserves) of the 9th EDF.

The Council of 11 April 2006 decided to extend this initiative for the period 2008 – 10 by allocating EUR 300 million under the Intra-ACP Indicative Programme of the 10th European Development Fund.

This amount can be used to finance costs incurred by African countries deploying their peace-keeping forces in one or more other African countries (cost of carrying troops, soldiers’ living expenses, development of capabilities, etc.) but under no circumstances to cover military and arms expenditure.

The Peace Facility is based on the principle of African ownership. It supports African-led peacekeeping operations in Africa as well as capacity building for the emerging security structure of the African Union (AU). These operations are launched and implemented by the African Union’s organisations and/or by sub-regional organisations. The African Union is required to play a key role in the decision-making process relating to these operations.

The AU’s mission in Darfur/Sudan (AMIS) is the first to be supported by the Peace Facility for Africa following a decision in June 2004 for financing amounting to EUR 12 million.

References

Act	Entry into force	Deadline for transposition in the Member States	Official Journal
Decision 2003/3	11.12.2003	–	OJ L 345, 31.12.2003.

Related Acts

Decision No 2/2007 of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers of 25 May 2007 allowing additional bilateral contributions, to be managed by the Commission, in support of the objectives of the African Peace Facility

Council Regulation (EC) No 617/2007 of 14 May 2007 on the implementation of the 10th European Development Fund under the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement [Official Journal L 152 of 13.6.2007].

From a strategy for Africa to an EU-Africa strategic partnership

Leave a reply

From a strategy for Africa to an EU-Africa strategic partnership

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about From a strategy for Africa to an EU-Africa strategic partnership

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Development > African Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP)

From a strategy for Africa to an EU-Africa strategic partnership

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council of 27 June 2007 – From Cairo to Lisbon – The EU-Africa Strategic Partnership [COM(2007) 357 final – not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: FROM CAIRO TO LISBON

The first historic European Union (EU)-Africa summit, which was held in Cairo in 2000, launched a more structured political dialogue between the EU and Africa, in particular through regular meetings between senior officials and ministers. Following the creation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in 2001 and the African Union (AU) in 2002, a second summit should have been held in Lisbon in 2003 but was postponed due to controversy over the participation of certain countries.

In October 2005, at a joint meeting with the AU Commission, the European Commission adopted a Communication on the EU strategy for Africa, which was formally approved by the European Council in December of the same year. This strategy has reinforced the coherence of internal EU policy and the coordination of the Commission and the Member States’ policies towards Africa.

In December 2005, participants at the fifth EU-Africa ministerial meeting in Bamako agreed that the next step should be to develop a joint EU-Africa strategy. This position was subsequently confirmed by the European Council in December 2006 and by the AU summit in January 2007.

This joint strategy will serve to reinforce the political dialogue between the EU and Africa in order to:

go beyond the framework of simple development cooperation by opening up the dialogue to common political concerns and issues of common interest;
go beyond the African continent by moving on from a strategy focused exclusively on African concerns to address European and global issues and, as a result, take action in the relevant fora;
move beyond fragmented support for African aspirations to find regional and global solutions to the most important challenges;
guarantee increased participation of African and European citizens on the strategic partnership and thus contribute to the strengthening of civil society in both continents.

Following approval of the broad thrust of the joint strategy at the eighth EU-Africa ministerial troika meeting, the finalised strategy was adopted at the second EU-Africa summit (see “Related acts”).

PROPOSALS FOR THE JOINT EU-AFRICA STRATEGY

The joint strategy will pursue four political objectives, namely:

reinforcement of the partnership, transforming it into a genuine partnership of equals;
promotion of key issues with respect to development, such as peace and security, governance and human rights, trade and regional and continental integration in Africa;
joint response to global challenges;
promotion of a wide-based and wide-ranging people-centred partnership.

Specifically, the European Commission is proposing five joint initiatives, which will be included in an action plan annexed to the joint strategy. They are:

An energy partnership

This partnership will create a platform aiming at:

reinforcing the current dialogue on issues such as access to energy and energy security;
scaling up investment in energy infrastructure;
investing a higher proportion of oil and gas revenues in development activities;
mainstreaming climate change into development cooperation.

Moreover, the partnership should build on existing instruments, such as:

the overall framework of the UE-Africa infrastructure partnership and its trust fund;
the EU Energy Initiative (EUEI) and its ACP energy facility;
the national and regional indicative programmes under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF);
the thematic programme on the environment and sustainable management of natural resources, including energy.

Partnership on climate change

The partnership will strengthen cooperation between the EU and the AU in the following areas:

disaster risk reduction;
halting deforestation;
participation of developing countries in the global carbon market;
promotion and deployment of environmentally friendly technologies;
better monitoring of the environmental effects of climate change.

In January 2007 AU leaders, recognising the vulnerability of Africa to climate change, committed themselves, through the Addis Ababa Declaration, to integrating climate change into their development policies, programmes and activities at national and sub-regional level. This constitutes a sound basis for a partnership between the EU and the AU in this area.

Partnership on migration, mobility and employment

With respect to migration, cooperation between the EU and Africa will involve the establishment of a network of Africa-based migration observatories which will collect, analyse and disseminate information on migration flows within Africa and between Africa and the EU. Special attention will be given to the skilled labour issue.

As regards mobility, the partnership will aim at building African capacity in the area of migration information management. Moreover, it will encourage the movement of skilled labour through the creation of partnerships between European and African institutions such as universities and hospitals.

Finally, in order to offer Africans a genuine alternative to migration to Europe, the partnership will focus on creating more and better jobs in Africa, particularly in the formal economy.

Partnership on democratic governance

The AU and the EU must stimulate the dialogue on governance issues of mutual interest, such as human rights and natural resource management, through the creation of a governance forum that will bring together non-state actors, national parliaments, local authorities and regional organisations. Moreover, the EU will explore new strategies for increasing European Community and Member State funding to support the Pan-African governance architecture.

Political and institutional architecture

The Commission stresses the need to strengthen the dialogue between all EU and AU institutions, in particular between the European Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament, and also between the European Commission and the AU Commission. The EU and the AU could also hold joint ministerial meetings. These efforts will build on the existing biannual EU-Africa ministerial troika meetings and on summits of the Heads of State or Government, which could be held every two or three years alternately in Europe and Africa.

On this basis, the European and African partners are working together to draw up the joint strategy and the action plan. Apart from the aforementioned initiatives, the establishment of partnerships on peace and security, democratic governance and human rights, science, the information society and space is envisaged, with particular emphasis on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Related Acts

Lisbon declaration [Not published in the Official Journal] (pdf ).

This declaration, which was adopted at the close of the second EU-Africa summit on 8-9 December 2007 by the Heads of State or Government of 53 African countries and the 27 EU Member States, lays the foundations for the new strategic partnership of equals between Africa and the EU. This declaration, which contains the philosophy and commitments of the partnership, was adopted at the same time as the first joint EU-Africa strategy and its first three-year action plan (2008-2010) (pdf ).
The strategic priorities identified form the basis of eight partnerships whose progress will be assessed at the next summit in 2010. These partnerships cover the following areas: peace and security, democratic governance and human rights, trade and regional integration, achieving the MDGs, and energy, as well as science, the information society and space.

The Africa-EU partnership at work

Leave a reply

The Africa-EU partnership at work

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about The Africa-EU partnership at work

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Development > African Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP)

The Africa-EU partnership at work

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament of 17 October 2008 entitled “One year after Lisbon: the Africa-EU partnership at work” [COM(2008) 617 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

The Commission notes progress accomplished in the first year of implementation of the strategic partnership between the European Union (EU) and Africa. This evaluation should allow the partners’ action to be targeted and to produce early and concrete deliverables.

THE AFRICA-EU PARTNERSHIP ACTION PLAN

The Africa-EU Action Plan consists of 8 sectorial partnerships (pdf ). It will be revised in 2010 at the next summit of Heads of State and Government from the EU and African states.

Partnership on Peace and Security

Cooperation supports the role of the African Union (AU) in the area of peace and security. First deliverables will focus on planning, control, management and funding of peacekeeping operations. The African Standby Force should be rendered completely operational by the AU, and its capacity for early warning and to combat terrorism and the trafficking of firearms should be consolidated.

The second Peace Facility for Africa, with a budget of EUR 300 million for the period 2008-2010, funds peacekeeping, preventative and post-crisis operations. Its impact will be reinforced by a rapid response scheme for emergency operations.

Africa-EU Partnership on Democratic Governance and Human Rights

Projects within this framework should enhance the existing pan-African set-up, support local governance, electoral and post-electoral processes, the pluralism of the media and cultural cooperation.

A platform for dialogue on democratic governance and human rights should be established in 2009 to promote the involvement of civil society and all stakeholders.

Partnership on Trade and Regional Integration

Within the framework of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), the partnership encourages the development of trade and services offered at regional level. It supports the harmonisation of laws, regulations, norms and standards in order to remove customs barriers in Africa.

The partners should increase the funding which is allocated to the Africa-EU partnership for infrastructures (FR) with the aim of developing regional interconnections.

Partnership on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

The partners have identified the areas of food security, health and education as being priorities for the achievement of the MDGs. This is in line with the recommendations of the United Nations Secretary General (UNSG), and to ensure the coherence of national, regional and multilateral action.

EU Member States have committed to increase official development assistance (ODA) for 2010 and 2015.

Partnership on Energy

In 2008, the partners adopted a Joint Statement on the Implementation of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership. This sectorial agreement aims in particular at modernising regional infrastructures and interconnections, supporting public and private investment, and improving access to energy services and energy efficiency.

Projects within this framework are funded under the EDF and through other financial instruments particularly in the areas of energy, infrastructures and the sustainable management of resources.

Partnership on Climate Change

Political dialogue on climate change is on a multilateral level, mainly within the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) (FR). The use of climate forecasts for development is one of the priorities of the GCCA through the ClimDev Africa programme.

The partners have strengthened their cooperation and this will come to fruition in an international post-Kyoto agreement at the Copenhagen summit in late 2009.

Partnership on Migration, Mobility and Employment

The Partnership will provide holistic responses with the objective of creating more and better jobs in Africa, advancing the Decent Work agenda and better managing migration flows. This Partnership builds upon the Tripoli Declaration, the Africa-EU Plan of Action on the trafficking of human beings and the Ouagadougou Declaration and Action Plan on Employment and Poverty Alleviation.

Amongst these priorities, the Commission supports the creation of an African Remittances Institute and a network of observatories in Sub-Saharan Africa to collect more reliable data on migration. It intends to establish a structured dialogue with representatives of the African Diaspora in Europe.

Partnership on Science, Information Society and Space

Science, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Space applications are factors for growth and socio-economic development. Africa-EU cooperation takes place in particular within the framework of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security initiative (GMES). Satellite surveillance must be developed as an instrument for disaster prevention and the sustainable management of natural and food resources.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE AFRICA-EU STRATEGY

Following discussions between the AU and the Commission, this Communication states priorities for the implementation of the Africa-EU strategy and its Action Plan. It invites partners to:

renew their political and financial commitment;
to adopt a roadmap, and to complete mappings of cooperation initiatives and available resources;
consult civil society;
encourage continent-wide projects, policies and legal frameworks;
identify existing synergies between strategy and financial and technical programmes;
enhance coordination of partners within international organisations and in multilateral negotiations;
have regular and structured dialogue between the European Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament.

Related Acts

Commission Working Document of 17 October 2008 annexed to this Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament of 17 October 2008 entitled “One year after Lisbon: the Africa-EU partnership at work” [SEC(2008) 2603 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Towards a renewed Africa-EU partnership

Leave a reply

Towards a renewed Africa-EU partnership

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Towards a renewed Africa-EU partnership

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Development > African Caribbean and Pacific states (ACP)

Towards a renewed Africa-EU partnership

Document or Iniciative

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council of 10 November 2010 on the consolidation of EU Africa relations 1.5 billion people, 80 countries, two continents, one future [COM(2010) 634 final – Not published in the Official Journal].

Summary

The priorities of the Africa-EU partnership must be adapted to the new challenges of the next ten years. Enhanced relations between Africa and the European Union (EU) should in particular be beneficial for the sustainable and inclusive growth of the African continent.

Addressing common challenges together

The partners share common interests and objectives as regards:

achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – to do this they must build on the initiatives taken by African countries and pay particular attention to the more fragile countries and the most vulnerable population groups;
the peace and security process, monitoring of which must take place within the framework of the African Union and the UN, supported by regional mechanisms for conflict prevention;
promoting governance, democracy, rule of law and human rights, involving, in particular, civil society and the private sector;
defending common interests at international level and strengthening Africa’s position within international organisations;
combating climate change and environmental degradation, the sustainable management of natural resources, and disaster risk reduction.

A forward-looking vision

During the next ten years, cooperation and investment should contribute to instituting inclusive growth, promoting cooperation in terms of:

social cohesion, by extending social protection systems and good governance of the labour market;
developing accessible and reliable basic services and infrastructures, particularly in the energy, information and communication technologies, water and transport sectors;
skills, innovation and entrepreneurship, including education and training;
migration and mobility, to ensure legal migration related to the labour market, whilst monitoring the situation of vulnerable groups (such as refugees, asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors).

Cooperation should also enable the conditions for sustainable growth to be created, through:

regional integration, driving stability, growth and development, but also through increased trade and improved economic governance;
sustainable development and supply of raw materials, by supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and respecting the environment;
increased agricultural production, particularly in favour of small-scale farmers, sustainable and ecologically efficient production;
energy efficiency and sustainable energies, identifying joint action timetables, investments and tax reforms.