1 / 18

Towards a Joint EU-AU Strategy

This presentation discusses the revival of the EU-Africa dialogue, the need for a joint EU-Africa strategy, shared vision and key thematic areas, diverging perspectives, opportunities and risks, and the process of developing the joint strategy.

jjo
Download Presentation

Towards a Joint EU-AU Strategy

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Towards a Joint EU-AU Strategy Nordic Africa Days (NAI) Uppsala 26 April 2007 Geert Laporte ECDPM

  2. Structure of presentation • Context: Revival of EU-Africa dialogue • Why a joint EU-Africa Strategy? • Shared vision & Key Thematic areas • Diverging perspectives • Opportunities & Risks • Process of Joint Strategy • Conclusions

  3. Revival of EU-Africa Dialogue • Cairo Summit (2000) with OAU • Emergence of AU as political interlocutor • Brussels/ Addis dialogue: AUC-EC Dialogue • More regular EP-PAP exchanges • ….Lisbon Summit 2007?

  4. Fragmented framework of AU-EU relations • 3 EU-Africa Agreements • Cotonou Partnership – ACP Group • TDCA – South Africa • Euro-Mediterranean Partnership- European Neighbourhood Policy • EC funding mechanisms + mgt structure • National, regional & continental level • EU Member States policies on Africa

  5. Why a joint EU-Africa Strategy? • Adapt to new world context since 9/11 (security, migration, environment,…) • Deepening of democratisation and integration in Africa and EU • Emergence of Pan-African institutions • New players with strong interest in Africa (China, India, Arab World, Latin-America…) • Strengthening political dialogue • Need to make ‘joint’ strategy after ‘unilateral’ EU Strategy for Africa

  6. Shared Vision • Historic links and neigbourhood • Redefining common interests in changing context • Political partnership beyond aid requiring different dialogue and institutional mechanisms • Mutual accountability • Promote and cooperate in effective multilateral system

  7. Peace and Security • Sustained holistic approaches (crisis mgt, LT peace building, conflict prevention, governance,..) • Support to African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA- Peace Facility) • Capacity building in Africa to prevent and resolve conflicts

  8. Governance, democracy and human rights • Support AU Governance Agenda/ African grown initiatives (e.g APRM) • Discuss issues of economic governance- return of illegally aquired assets • Mutual accountability instead of double standards • Enforcement of mutual commitments

  9. Trade and regional integration • Trade = development oriented • Fully integrated pan-African market • Ensuring coherence between joint strategy and trade agreements (EPAs)?

  10. Key development issues • Health & Education for all • Migration • Debt cancellation • Sustainable development • Agriculture • Environment & climate change • Industrialisation, S&T • Cultural goods etc…

  11. Diverging perspectives Africa-Europe (policies) • Trade/EPAs coherent with panafrican integration? • Different ambitions: traditional economic development versus industrialisation, S&T, KM? • Migration-security-brain drain? • Addressing debt in strategy? • Pan-african enveloppe beyond EDF10? • Return cultural goods

  12. Diverging Perspectives Africa-Europe (process) • Radical shift in partnership culture • Real and effective joint dialogue, monitoring & implementation • Joint dialogue on types of funding & management of resources • Mutual accountability

  13. Opportunities • Openness to dialogue on all sensitive issues on equal footing • More balanced partnership because of strengthened bargaining power of Africa • New and stronger African institutions • Involvement civil society

  14. Risks • EU ‘Business as usual’? • Will EU treat Africa as one? • Coherence with existing partnership frameworks? • Reluctance EU member states? • Will strategy reach grassroots?

  15. Process of Joint Strategy • Institutional dialogue at Troika Commissions and Experts levels • Broad based public consultation process via internet and consultative meetings • http://europafrica.org, http://europafrique.org • ECDPM mandated by AU and EU to facilitate both processes

  16. Next steps in the Process • Drafting Outline by Experts Group (26-28 April) • Ministerial Troika (15 May) to decide on outline • Drafting Strategy & further consultation • Lisbon Summit (December 2007)

  17. Conclusions • First time that attempt is made for genuine and joint and inclusive process • Openness in pointing out issues of consensus and divergence • Will Joint Strategy fundamentally change EU-Africa relations beyond aid ? • Ensure delivery of commitments and put emphasis on monitoring and implementation mechanisms!

  18. Thank you for your attention… Geert Laporte gl@ecdpm.org For more information on ECDPM’s work on ACP-EU and AU-EU relations: www.ecdpm.org

More Related