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Brüssel 28.6.2006

KOM(2006) 347 lõplik

KOMISJONI TEATIS NÕUKOGULE, JA EUROOPA PARLAMENDILE

ELi ja Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi strateegilise partnerluse poole

KOMISJONI TEATIS NÕUKOGULE, JA EUROOPA PARLAMENDILE

ELi ja Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi strateegilise partnerluse poole

SISSEJUHATUS

Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariik on riik, mis on kujundatud pärast apartheidi kaotamist 12 aastat tagasi jalule tõusnud riigist. See riik on üle saanud apartheidi tekitatud traumast, et ehitada demokraatlik, salliv ja mitmerassiline ühiskond. Riik on saavutanud finants- ja majandusstabiilsuse, mis võimaldab edaspidi kiirendada majanduskasvu kõigi oma kodanike hüvanguks. Ta on ennast tõestanud juhtiva riigi ja rahuvahendajana nii kõnealuses piirkonnas kui ka kogu Aafrika mandril. Riigil on autoriteet mitte ainult Aafrikas, vaid ka ülemaailmsetes mitmepoolsetes institutsioonides.

Laienenud EL arendas välja uue põhja-lõuna koostöö käsitluse, võttes vastu kolm tähtsat tegevuskava aastatuhande arengueesmärkide, Euroopa konsensuse kohta arengupoliitikas ja ELi Aafrika strateegia kohta. EL tugevdab oma välispoliitikat ning püüab edendada stabiilsust, julgeolekut ja majanduslikku heaolu kogu maailmas.

Seetõttu on Lõuna-Aafrika Euroopa Liidu loomulik partner Aafrika mandril ja ülemaailmsel tasandil. Toetudes nii ühistele väärtustele ja üksteise huvidele kui ka tihedatele kultuurisidemetele, on EL ja Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariik arendanud mitmekülgset partnerlust, mis põhineb Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi, Euroopa Ühenduse ja selle liikmesriikide vahel sõlmitud kaubandus-, arengu- ja koostöölepingul.

Nüüdsel ajal on Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi ja ELi vahelistes suhetes siiski vaja suuremat sidusust, selgeid eesmärke ning ühist poliitilist tulevikunägemust, et tugevdada ühiseid poliitilisi meetmeid. Partnerlus eeldab, et mõlemad pooled väljendaksid selgelt, mida nad üksteiselt siseriiklikul, piirkondlikul, mandri ja globaalsel tasandil ootavad, ning hindaksid õiglaselt Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi ja ELi ainulaadset positsiooni uues, globaliseerunud maailmas.

Seetõttu on käesoleva, ELi ja Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi strateegilist partnerlust käsitleva teatise eesmärk esitada Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi ja ELi suhete mitmekülgne, ühtne ja kooskõlastatud pikaajaline raamistik, kus võetakse arvesse Lõuna-Aafrika rasket minevikku, tema edumudeliks olemist kõnealuses piirkonnas ning ainulaadset positsiooni Aafrika mandril ja kogu maailmas.

1. APARTHEIDIJÄRGNE LÕUNA-AAFRIKA

Kaksteist aastat pärast tugevasti kõiki Lõuna-Aafrika ühiskonna osi mõjutanud apartheidi lõppu võitleb Lõuna-Aafrika endiselt oma traumaatilise lähiminevikuga, kuid on siiski saavutanud märkimisväärset edu.

Siseriiklikul tasandil on valitsusel alates 1994. aastast olnud kavas lõhkuda apartheidi sotsiaalseid suhteid ning rajada demokraatlik ühiskond, mis põhineb õiglusel, rassismi puudumisel, religioossete, kultuuri-, keele- ja põliste kogukondade õiguste austamisel. Rakendatud on uut poliitikat ja uusi programme eesmärgiga parandada valdava enamiku inimeste heaolu, kaasa arvatud põhiliste sotsiaalteenuste tagamine ja positiivne diskrimineerimine mustanahaliste majandusliku olukorra parandamise poliitika kaudu.

Senised saavutused on:

- põhiseaduslik mitmeparteiline poliitiline süsteem,

- toimiv parlamentaarne demokraatia,

- üldine pühendumine põhiseaduslikkusele ja õigusriigile,

- usaldusväärsuse ja läbipaistvuse tagamise ning teavitamise mehhanismid riigihalduses,

- sõltumatu kohtusüsteem.

Majanduslikust küljest on riigis kõige silmatorkavam apartheidi pärandatud rassilisel eraldamisel põhinev topeltmajandus, mille tulemusena jäävad ligi poole elanikkonna sissetulekud allapoole vaesuspiiri.

Pärast apartheidi kaotamist on riik saavutanud edu sisemise ja välise makromajandusliku stabiilsuse tagamisel. Riiklikud kulutused on püsinud üldiselt stabiilsetena, eelarvepuudujääk on alla 3% SKTst. Ametliku majanduse kasvu tuleb siiski jätkuvalt toetada, et võimaldada majanduslikku tõusu ning kiirendada töökohtade loomist ja mitteametliku majanduse integreerimist. Eelseisvate aastate väljavaated on positiivsemad ning valitsuse uue ASGISA poliitika (Lõuna-Aafrika kiirendatud ja ühtlase majanduskasvu algatus) eesmärk on võidelda vaesusega ja vähendada ebavõrdsust, edendades nii majanduskasvu ja tööhõivet.

Suurim sotsiaalne probleem, millega riigil tuleb tegeleda, on kahtlemata suur sotsiaalne ja majanduslik ebavõrdsus, mis mõjutab kogu ühiskonda. Seda näitlikustatakse kahe olulise probleemiga, mis kerkivad esile oma võimaliku kahjuliku mõju tõttu ühiskonnale tervikuna:

- häirivalt kõrge HIVi/AIDSi levik, nakatunute arv ulatub hinnangute järgi kuuele miljonile. See tähendab, et nakatunuid on täiskasvanute seas hinnanguliselt umbes 21,5%. Pandeemia kaugeleulatuvaks tagajärjeks on väga suured sotsiaalsed ja majanduslikud kulud, mis tulenevad elanikkonna arvu ja keskmise eeldatava eluea vähenemisest ning majanduslikult aktiivsete inimeste kaotamisest koos orbude arvu olulise kasvuga[1];

- nii tavalise kui ka organiseeritud kuritegevuse ja vägivalla tase, mis puudutab eelkõige naisi ja lapsi ning on seotud rahvusvahelise inimkaubandusega Lõuna-Aafrika piirkonnas.

Lõuna-Aafrika seisab silmitsi tähtsate keskkonnaprobleemidega. Põllumajanduses tarbitava vee ja joogivee kättesaadavus, mullaerosioon ja kõrbestumine, jäätmehooldus ja reostus, kõik need mõjutavad toiduainetega kindlustatust, vaesemale elanikkonnale, eelkõige maainimestele pikaajalise sotsiaalabi tagamist ja majanduse arengut. Peale selle suurendab kliimamuutus tõenäoliselt mitme nimetatud keskkonnaprobleemi tekkimise ohtu ja tekitab ise uusi probleeme. Lõuna-Aafrika peab lahendama transpordisektori ja eelkõige energeetikasektori tekitatud kasvuhoonegaaside heitmete suurenemise probleemi, kuna elektrienergiat toodetakse peamiselt kivisöest ja tõenäoliselt see ei muutu.

Aafrika lõunapiirkonnas moodustavad Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariik koos Botswana, Lesotho, Namiibia ja Svaasimaaga Lõuna-Aafrika Tolliliidu. Tolliliit kuulub alates 1994. aastast Lõuna-Aafrika Arenguühendusse, mis on 14 riigist koosnev Aafrika lõunapiirkonna majandusühendus. Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariik mängib kõnealuses piirkonnas tähtsat rolli. Riik toodab 50% Lõuna-Sahara riikide SKTst ning umbes 75% Lõuna-Aafrika Arenguühenduse liikmete SKTst. Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi investeeringud ülejäänud Lõuna-Aafrika riikidesse moodustavad 49% piirkonna välismaistest otseinvesteeringutest ning 80% Aafrika lõunapiirkonnas asetleidvast kaubavahetusest toimub Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigiga. Suurema osa kaubavahetusest moodustab Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi eksport kõnealuse piirkonna teistesse riikidesse. Peale selle laiendatakse Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi ettevõtete äritegevust kõnealuses piirkonnas ning pikka aega on toimunud kõnealuse piirkonna töötajate ränne kõnealusesse riiki. Lõuna-Aafrika teaduslik ja tehnoloogiline suutlikkus kujutab endast märkimisväärset ressurssi kogu piirkonna jaoks.

Kontinendi tasandil on Lõuna-Aafrika areneva lõuna peamine esindaja. Tal on Aafrika Liidus väga oluline roll ning ta on uue Aafrika arengupartnerluse üks algataja ja liikumapanev jõud. Rahu ja julgeoleku valdkonnas on riigil olnud oluline roll vahendaja ja rahuvalvajana nt Rwandas, Kongo Demokraatlikus Vabariigis, Burundis, Libeerias, Sudaanis ja Côte d’Ivoire’is. Lõuna-Aafrika jätkab jõupingutusi, et leida lahendus Zimbabwe kriisile.

Maailma tasandil on Lõuna-Aafrika üks arengumaade liidrite liikumise juhtliige. Kõnealune riik on WTO ja Rahvaste Ühenduse liige ning osaleb väga aktiivselt nimetatud organisatsioonide töös. Doha läbirääkimistel püüab Lõuna-Aafrika G20 ja Cairnsi grupi liikmena edendada strateegiliste liitude ja koalitsioonide kaudu teiste arengumaadega ühiseid käsitlusviise, et tugevdada arengumõõdet WTO läbirääkimistel ning soodustada arengumaade suuremat integratsiooni mitmepoolsesse kaubandussüsteemi. Lõuna-Aafrikal on oluline roll ka ÜRO reformimisel. Peale selle ühines riik hiljuti arenevate doonorriikide rühmaga (BRICS), kuhu kuuluvad ka Brasiilia, Venemaa, India ja Hiina ning tõenäoliselt arendab ta edasi oma rahastaja rolli Aafrika mandril. Lõuna-Aafrika on hakanud ka aktiivsemalt osalema kliimamuutusega võitlemiseks kavandatavate mitmepoolsete meetmete aruteludes.

2. ELi ja Lõuna-Aafrika vahelised suhted

Lõuna-Aafrikal ja ELil on ühised poliitilised, sotsiaalsed ja eetilised väärtused , nagu demokraatia, inimõigused, õigusriigi ja hea valitsemistava austamine, sallivus, võrdõiguslikkus, keskendumine vaesuse ja sotsiaalse tõrjutusega võitlemisele ning jätkusuutliku arengu edendamine.

Nad on ühisel seisukohal sotsiaalse turumajanduse, vabakaubanduse ja õiglase rahvusvahelise majanduskorralduse majanduslike aluspõhimõtete küsimuses.

Mõlemad on võtnud endale kohustuseks rakendada rahu ja stabiilsust, head valitsemistava, demokratiseerimist ning vaesusega võitlemist käsitlevat tegevuskava kogu Aafrika mandril. Mõlemad usuvad rahvusvaheliste konfliktide mitmepoolsesse lahendamisse ning nad on huvitatud selle tagamisest, et arengumaid võetaks kuulda ka rahvusvahelisel tasandil.

Kaubandus-, arengu- ja koostööleping on õiguslik alus kõigile Lõuna-Aafrika ja ELi vahelistele suhetele. See hõlmab poliitilist dialoogi, kaubandust, arengukoostööd, majanduskoostööd ning ka paljude teiste valdkondade alast koostööd. Lõuna-Aafrika on ka Cotonou lepingu osaline, kuid ta ei pääse ligi selle rahastamisvahenditele ja tema suhtes ei kohaldata soodustingimustel kauplemise korda.

2.1. Poliitiline dialoog

Alates apartheidi kaotamist on poliitilist dialoogi peetud mitteametlikel läbirääkimistel ELi missiooni Pretorias asuva esinduse juhataja tasandil ning poliitikute ja kõrgemate ametnike vastastikustel visiitidel.

Kaubandus-, arengu- ja koostöölepingu artiklis 4 nimetatud struktureeritud ja ametliku poliitilise dialoogi pidamisega tehti algust koostöönõukogus, mis on ühisorgan, kes arendab ELi ja Lõuna-Aafrika suhteid tervikuna. Koostöönõukogu on alates 2004. aastast koos käinud ministrite tasandil, millele järgnes eesistujakolmiku kohtumine, kus arutati poliitilisi küsimusi.

Mõlemad partnerid peavad poliitilist dialoogi partnerluse oluliseks osaks. See annab võimaluse vahetada arvamusi mitmesuguste siseriiklike, piirkondlike, kontinentaalsete ja globaalsete küsimuste kohta, sealhulgas HIV/AIDS, Zimbabwe, uus Aafrika arengupartnerlus ja Aafrika Liit, rahuvalveoperatsioonid Aafrikas ja Aafrika rahutagamisvahend, Euroopa Liidu laienemine, arengud ÜROs, Lähis-Ida rahuprotsess ja rahvusvaheline terrorism.

2.2. Kaubandus

EL on Lõuna-Aafrika peamine kaubanduspartner, kelle osa Lõuna-Aafrikasse ekspordis on ligikaudu 32% ja impordis ligikaudu 41%. Lõuna-Aafrika on ka ELi suurim kaubanduspartner Aafrikas. ELi eksport Lõuna-Aafrikasse on pärast kaubandus-, arengu- ja koostöölepingu jõustumist suurenenud keskmiselt 9,5% aastas.

Kaubandus-, arengu- ja koostöölepingu kaubandust käsitlevad sätted kehtivad alates 2000. aastast ning hõlmavad umbes 90% partneritevahelisest kahepoolsest kaubandusest. Sätetel oli positiivne mõju kahe partneri vahelistele kaubavahetussuhetele ning nad on aluseks vabakaubanduspiirkonna loomisele 2012. aastal. Vabakaubanduspiirkonna kehtestamine toimub asümmeetriliselt, sest EL avab oma turu kiiremini ja suuremale hulgale toodetele kui Lõuna-Aafrika.

2.3. Arengukoostöö

EL on ülekaalukalt kõige tähtsam rahastaja: komisjon annab koos liikmesriikidega umbes 70% toetuste kogusummast, mis moodustab umbes 1,3% riigieelarve eraldistest ja 0,3% riigi SKTst.

Kulutused Euroopa rekonstrueerimise ja arendamise programmi raames tehtavale arengukoostööle ulatuvad ligi 130 miljoni euroni aastas ning seda rahastatakse ühenduse eelarvest. Peamiselt rahastatakse majandustegevust ja -kasvu ning sotsiaalteenuste edendamist. Viimatimainitud valdkonnas toetati märkimisväärselt veega varustamist ja kanalisatsiooni arendamist, haridust ning tervishoiusektori suutlikkuse suurendamist, andes panuse HIVi/AIDSi vastasesse võitlusse kõnealuses riigis.

Euroopa Investeerimispank on sõlminud Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigiga vastastikuse mõistmise memorandumi ning väljastab ühenduse tagatisel laene keskmiselt 120 miljonit eurot aastas.

Hinnangute järgi on ELi ja Lõuna-Aafrika arengukoostöö oluline Lõuna-Aafrika poliitika, strateegiate ja arenguprioriteetide seisukohast. Tervet programmi saab siiski tõhusamaks muuta, keskendudes väiksemale arvule sekkumistele.

2.4. Koostöö muudes valdkondades

Lõuna-Aafrika on sõlminud Euroopaga teadus- ja tehnoloogiaalase koostöö lepingu. Riigi osalemine teadusuuringute ja tehnoloogia arenduse raamprogrammides paraneb pidevalt, Lõuna-Aafrika teadusorganisatsioonid osalevad edukalt kuuenda raamprogrammi mitme valdkondliku prioriteedi saavutamises. Lõuna-Aafrika uurimisasutused on suurel määral lihtsustanud rahvusvahelist teaduskoostööd Euroopa ja Aafrika Alam-Sahara teadlaste vahel.

Euroopa Ühendus ja Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariik on sõlminud ka eraldi veini ja kangete alkohoolsete jookide kaubandust käsitlevad lepingud.

Muude valdkondade hulka, mis on enamasti piiritletud ja ajutised ja kus on arenenud koostöö Euroopaga, kuuluvad sanitaar- ja fütosanitaarmeetmeid ning toidu ohutus, toll, vein ja kange alkohol jne. Infoühiskonna valdkonnas peetakse dialoogi, mille eesmärk on kindlaks määrata koostöövaldkonnad poliitilisel ja regulatiivsel tasandil.

Seoses hariduskoostööga osalevad Lõuna-Aafrika ülikoolid mitmes rahvusvahelises partnerluses, mida rahastatakse Erasmus Munduse programmi raames. Mõned Lõuna-Aafrika tudengid on saanud stipendiume magistrikraadi omandamiseks Euroopas. Stipendiume anti ka kuuenda teadustöö raamprogrammi Marie Curie nimeliste meetmete raames.

3. ELi ja Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi STRATEEGILISE PARTNERLUSE POOLE

Ühise koostöönõukogu koosolekutel on Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariik, Euroopa Komisjon ja liikmesriigid tunnistanud, et ELi ja Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi vahelised hiljuti muutunud suhted vajavad sidusamat strateegilist raamistikku. Nad võtsid 2004. aasta 23. novembri koosolekul vastu ühised järeldused ja 2005. aasta novembris ühisaruande ning leppisid kokku, et „... tuleb astuda samme tagamaks, et Lõuna-Aafrika ja ELi suhted areneksid strateegiliseks partnerluseks, mis … tunnustaks Lõuna-Aafrika edumudeliks olemist mandril ja tema tähtsat rolli rahvusvahelisel tasandil”.

Kavandatava strateegilise partnerlusega püütakse neid eesmärke saavutada:

- koondades liikmesriigid, ühenduse ja Lõuna-Aafrika ühte ja sidusasse, selgelt ja ühiselt määratletud eesmärkidega raamistikku, mis hõlmab kõiki koostöövaldkondi ja kaasab kõik sidusrühmad;

- rakendades poliitilise dialoogi asemel strateegilist poliitilist koostööd ning keskendudes ühiseesmärkide saavutamisele piirkondlikes, Aafrikaga seotud ja globaalsetes küsimustes;

- süvendades olemasolevat koostööd, arendades tugevamat ja jätkusuutlikku majanduskoostööd, rakendades täielikult kaubandus-, arengu- ja koostöölepingu sätteid kaubandusega seotud valdkondades ning hakates koostööd tegema ka sotsiaalses, kultuuri- ja keskkonnavaldkonnas.

Peale selle peab strateegiline partnerlus põhinema aastatuhande arengueesmärkidel, Euroopa arengupoliitikas saavutatud konsensusel ja ELi Aafrika strateegial, seades poliitilise dialoogi keskmesse edusammud aastatuhande arengueesmärkide saavutamiseks ning valitsemise ning rahu ja julgeoleku vallas tehtud edusammud nii siseriiklikul kui ka rahvusvahelisel tasandil.

3.1. Kahepoolsed suhted – uus strateegiline koostöökäsitlus

3.1.1. Poliitiline koostöö

Kavandatava strateegilise partnerluse kõige tähtsam osa on pelgalt poliitilise dialoogi pidamise asemel aktiivse poliitilise koostöö tegemine. Lõuna-Aafrika ja ELi partnerlusest peab saama suhete loomise vahend kahe üksmeelt otsiva põhja ja lõuna esindaja vahel. Selle peamine eesmärk peab olema võimaldada kahel poolel leida üksmeel mõlemale poolele huvipakkuvates küsimustes, toetada üksteise poliitilisi tegevuskavu ning võtta ühiseid poliitilisi meetmeid piirkondlikul, Aafrika ja maailma tasandil.

Nagu on märgitud kaubandus-, arengu- ja koostöölepingu artiklis 4, peab poliitiline dialoog hõlmama kõiki partnerluse aspekte: siseriiklikke, piirkondlikke, kontinentaalse tasandi ja rahvusvahelisi küsimusi. Sama peab kehtima ka aktiivse poliitilise koostöö kohta, mis on seotud kõigi koostöötasanditega: kahepoolse, piirkondliku, kontinentaalse ja globaalse koostööga.

3.1.2. Kaubanduse edendamine

Kaubandussuhteid ei saa arendada mitte ainult kaubavahetuse suurema liberaliseerimise ja suuremate turgude loomise teel, vaid ka integreerides teenustekaubanduse ja WTO lisakokkuleppes pandud kohustusi mitmetesse uutesse valdkondadesse.

Kaubandus-, arengu- ja koostöölepingus ettenähtud vabakaubanduslepingu ulatust tuleb laiendada, et hõlmata sellega kauplemistingimuste ühtlustamine ja uued kohustused, mis on seotud selliste valdkondadega teenused, riigihankes ja investeeringud.

Mõlemad pooled peavad arendama koostööd mitmes kaubandusvaldkonnas: tollikoostöö, päritolureeglid, võitlus pettustega ja tollieeskirjade eiramisega ja sellega seotud küsimused, konkurentsipoliitika, intellektuaalomandi õigused, tarbijakaitse, toidu ohutus, sanitaar- ja fütosanitaarmeetmed, tehnilised kaubandustõkked ning standardid ja normid nii siseriikliku kohaldamise kui ka ekspordi edendamise seisukohalt. Õhutranspordil on oluline roll majandusarengus, piirkondlikus integratsioonis ja kaubanduse edendamisel. ELil ja Lõuna-Aafrikal tuleb luua kindel õigusraamistik lennuteenuste edasiarendamiseks ja tehnilise koostöö tegemiseks kõnealuses sektoris.

Võib olla tuleb mõningad kaubandussätted, näiteks need, mis käsitlevad kaitsemeetmeid ja vaidluste lahendamist, läbi vaadata kaubandus-, arengu- ja koostöölepingu ning Lõuna-Aafrika majanduskoostöölepingute vaheliste edasiste seoste seisukohast.

3.1.3. Uuendusliku majandusliku, sotsiaalse ja keskkonnapartnerluse poole

Kaubandus-, arengu- ja koostöölepingu majandusalast ja muud koostööd käsitlevad sätted võimaldavad teha laiaulatuslikku ja potentsiaalselt viljakat koostööd, millest võivad mõlemad pooled kasu saada. Üks konkreetne valdkond, kus sellelaadne koostöö võib olla kasulik Lõuna-Aafrika jaoks ja mis täiendaks arengukoostööd, on regionaalpoliitika ja sotsiaalne ühtekuuluvus. Lõuna-Aafrika on näidanud suurt huvi Euroopa Liidu kogemuste vastu regionaalpoliitika rakendamisel ja struktuurifondide haldamisel. Riik leiab, et kõnealune poliitika võiks olla eeskujuks Lõuna-Aafrika jõupingutustele, et tulla toime suure sotsiaalse ja majandusliku ebavõrdsusega riigi provintside ja piirkondade vahel. Euroopa Liit on valmis jagama oma kogemusi regionaalpoliitika ja sotsiaalse ühtekuuluvuse valdkonnas, et aidata lahendada Lõuna-Aafrika ebavõrdsuse ja tasakaalutusega seotud probleeme. Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi majandusliku tähtsuse tõttu kõnealuses piirkonnas ja rahvusvahelisel tasandil on oluline arendada majanduskoostööalaste kogemuste jagamist, sealhulgas edendada korrapärast majandusdialoogi ja makromajandus- ja rahandusalase teabe vahetust.

EL on valmis jagama regionaalpoliitika ja sotsiaalse ühtekuuluvuse vallas omandatud kogemusi, et aidata toime tulla lõhedega ja ebavõrdsusega Lõuna-Aafrikas.

Olemasolevate lepingute raames on võimalik tugevdada ELi ja Lõuna-Aafrika vahelist teadus- ja tehnoloogiaalast koostööd. Peale selle tuleb igati edendada teadusvahetuste praktilist ja tööstuslikku rakendamist, et tagada nende vahetut mõju majanduskasvule ja tööhõivele.

Uute paljutõotavate koostöövaldkondade esialgne loetelu on esitatud 1. lisas ning seda tuleb veel täiendada.

3.1.4. Arengukoostöö – uus riigipõhine strateegia aastateks 2007–2013

Lõuna-Aafrika on keskmise sissetulekuga riik, mis loob ise olulisi eelarvevahendeid ning kuigi Euroopa Liidu arenguabi on märkimisväärne, on riigi eelarvega võrreldes väike. Ometi on arengurahast eraldatud vahendeid kogu sektori eelarve toetusprogrammide, parimaid tavasid käsitlevate algatuste, suutlikkuse suurendamise ja rahvusvahelise silmapaistvuse jaoks. Peale selle – ja nagu on märgitud Euroopa Liidu ühisavalduses konsensuse kohta arengupoliitikas – „... seisavad mitmed keskmise sissetulekuga riikide rühma vaesemad liikmed … sageli silmitsi jahmatava ebavõrdsuse ja halva valitsemistavaga, mis ohustavad nende arengut. Mitmetel keskmise sissetulekuga riikidel on oluline roll poliitilistes, julgeoleku- ja maailmakaubanduse küsimustes ning nad toodavad ja kaitsevad ülemaailmse tähtsusega avalikke hüvesid ja toimivad piirkondlike edumudelitena”.

2007.–2013. aastate kohta koostatavas arengukoostöö programmis tuleb neid aspekte arvesse võtta, uurida Lõuna-Aafrika vajadust ametliku arenguabi järele ning keskenduda Euroopa Liidu panuse lisaväärtusele. Programm peab tagama loodusvarade kaitse ning olema keskkonnasäästlik. See peab olema täielikult kooskõlas Lõuna-Aafrika majandus- ja sotsiaalpoliitikaga ning vastama selle prioriteetidele, eelkõige tuleb tegeleda sotsiaalteenuste osutamise kitsaskohtadega ning võtta arvesse Lõuna-Aafrika valitsuse arenduslikku ja sekkuvamat majanduspoliitikat, mis keskendub majanduskasvule, tööhõivele ning sissetulekute erinevusele ja teiste ebavõrdsuse probleemidega tegelemisele.

3.2. Lõuna-Aafrika piirkondliku edumudelina

Andes umbes 75% Lõuna-Aafrika Arengunõukogu piirkonna RKTst, on Lõuna-Aafrika kõnealuse piirkonna poliitiline, majanduslik, finantsiline, inimressursside ja kaubavahetuse keskus. Roll, mida ta on otsustanud võtta on määrava tähtsusega Lõuna-Aafrika Arengunõukogu soovitusliku piirkondliku strateegilise arengukava rakendamise ning tegelikult ka piirkondliku integratsiooni jaoks Lõuna-Aafrikas. Lõuna-Aafrika Arengunõukogu jääb piirkondliku poliitilise koostöö ja piirkonna n-ö loomuliku liidu peamiseks eestvedajaks, samas mängib Lõuna-Aafrika Tolliliit olulist rolli kaubavahetuses.

ELi Aafrika strateegia kohaselt on piirkondlikud majandusühendused ELi–Aafrika suhete peamised teerajajad. Lõuna-Aafrika piirkonna puhul peavad EL ja Lõuna-Aafrika strateegiliste partneritena pidama intensiivsemat ja sisukamat dialoogi ja tegema poliitilist koostööd keerulises piirkondlikus kontekstis ja selle poliitiliste ülesannete lahendamisel. Nad peavad selgemalt määratlema oma rolli piirkonnas, võttes arvesse uute majandusjõudude esiletõusu.

Piirkondliku tasandi koostöö peamine eesmärk on tagada julgeolek ja rahuvalve. Lõuna-Aafrika ja EL peavad tegema koostööd Lõuna-Aafrika Arengunõukoguga, et edendada organi suunavat strateegilist poliitika, kaitse- ja julgeolekukoostöökava, varajase hoiatamise süsteemi ja Lõuna-Aafrika Arengunõukogu rahuvalvamise suutlikkust.

EÜ ja Lõuna-Aafrika Arengunõukogu majanduskoostöölepingute läbirääkimistel tuleb lahendada kaubandus-, arengu- ja koostöölepingu ning majanduskoostöölepingute kooseksisteerimisest tingitud küsimusi, pidades meeles, et majanduskoostöölepingute eesmärk on kujundada välja ennustatavam ja eeskirjadel põhinev piirkondlik kaupade ja teenuste turg, et soodustada piirkondlikku integratsiooni, ühtlustada piirkonna ja EÜ kaubandusreeglid ning luua üksainus ja lihtne raamistik Aafrika lõunaosas asuvate riikide ja EÜ vahelise kaubanduse jaoks. See võib nõuda lisamuudatuste tegemist kaubandus-, arengu- ja koostöölepingus.

3.3. Lõuna-Aafrika võtmeroll mandril

Lõuna-Aafrikal on tähtis roll Aafrika mandril. Ta on Aafrika Liidu ja uue Aafrika arengupartnerluse üks peamistest liikumapanevatest jõududest. Ta edendab head valitsemistava, andes oma panuse Aafrika vastastikuse järelevalve mehhanismi rakendamisse. Kõnealune riik on ka ere näide ebaõiglase poliitilise režiimi ümberkujundamisest avatud, demokraatlikuks ühiskonnaks, mis soodustab sallivust ja leppivust. Riik on ka muutumas üha olulisemaks investeerijaks Aafrikas ja seda nii rahalisest küljest kui ka oskusteabe ja parimate tavade ülekandmise poolest. Lõuna-Aafrika osaleb aktiivselt konfliktide ennetamises, vahendamises ja lahendamises mitmes Aafrika riigis ning toetab tugevasti Aafrika Liidu jõupingutusi selles valdkonnas.

Aafrika küsimustega seotud poliitiline ja diplomaatiline koostöö on valdkond, milles Lõuna-Aafrika ja EL peaksid saavutama suurema üksteisemõistmise. Koostöö ei tohiks piirduda Aafrika Liidu ja rahuvalvemissioonide rahalise toetusega, vaid sellest peaks saama tugevdatud partnerluse osa. EL peab koos Lõuna-Aafrikaga uurima Aafrika ühtse tegevuskava määratlemise võimalusi ning teineteise eesmärkide toetamise viise Aafrikas.

Niisugune poliitiline liit ei nõrgesta ELi praeguseid suhteid teiste Aafrika riikidega ega mõjuta koostööd Aafrika Liiduga ja piirkondlike majandusühendustega. Otse vastupidi, selle eesmärk on rakendada Aafrika strateegiat siseriiklikul tasandil, et arendada tihedamaid suhteid ELi ja teiste riikide vahel.

3.4. Rahvusvaheline koostöö globaalprobleemide lahendamisel

Lõuna-Aafrikal on rahvusvahelisel tasandil ainulaadne positsioon. Ta võtab paljudel juhtudel sõna reformijärgus riikide ja arenguriikide nimel. Riigi autoriteet rahvusvahelisel tasandil on tähelepanuväärne ning ületab riigi majandusliku kaalu. Kuigi Lõuna-Aafrika ja ELi seisukohad rahvusvahelistes küsimustes alati ei ühti, valitseb paljudes asjades üksmeel. Sarnaselt Euroopale on Lõuna-Aafrika võtnud endale kohustuse võidelda massihävitusrelvade leviku vastu, tunnustada Rahvusvahelise Kriminaalkohtu pädevust, kaotada surmanuhtlus ja võidelda terrorismiga. Mõlemal usuvad ÜRO kollektiivse julgeoleku mitmepoolsesse süsteemi ning sellesse, et ÜRO Julgeolekunõukogu peamine kohustus on rahvusvahelise rahu ja julgeoleku säilitamine. Samuti tegelevad mõlemad pooled põhjalikult kliimamuutuse põhjuste ja mõjuga seotud probleemide lahendamisega ning on kinnitanud oma huvi kõnealuseid ja muid keskkonnaküsimusi käsitleva vastastikuse dialoogi süvendamise vastu.

Neid küsimusi on plaanis arutada ELi ja Lõuna-Aafrika vahelistel poliitilistel läbirääkimistel, kuid nende suhtes tuleb võtta ka konkreetseid meetmeid. EL peab jõudma ühisele seisukohale Lõuna-Aafrikaga ja tegema viimasega tõhusat koostööd kõigis kõnealustes valdkondades ning kaitsma mõlema huve rahvusvahelisel tasandil.

Samamoodi peab EL arendama mõlemale poolele kasulikku koostööd keskkonna, sisserände, rahvusvahelise narkoäriga võitlemise, rahapesu, maksude vältimise ja maksupettuste, korruptsiooni, meresõidu- ja lennuohutuse, inimkaubanduse (eriti lastekaubanduse), väikerelvade ebaseadusliku leviku ja organiseeritud kuritegevuse valdkonnas.

Mõlemad partnerid soosivad arenguriikide ja reformijärgus riikide suuremat esindatust rahvusvahelistes organisatsioonides. Selleks peavad nad edendama suuremat poliitilist kooskõlastatust, koostööd rahvusvahelistes finantsasutustes ja rahvusvahelistel foorumitel (kaasa arvatud ÜRO asutustes) ja ühiseid meetmeid.

4. Järeldused

Lõuna-Aafrika ja ELi tegevuses on palju ühiseid jooni, nad on kui sillarajajad põhja ja lõuna, lääne ja ida, tsivilisatsioonide, rahvaste ja religioonide vahel. Euroopa Liit leiab, et seda ülesannet saab ta paremini täita koos Lõuna-Aafrikaga. Kuid niisugust strateegilist partnerlust ei saa siiski luua üleöö, see on dünaamilise arengu tulemus. EL on valmis osalema selles dünaamilises protsessis peamiselt süvendatud ja vaba poliitilise dialoogi kaudu ja tehes Lõuna-Aafrikaga igakülgset koostööd.

Praegu seisneb poliitiline dialoog teabevahetuses ELi missiooni Pretorias asuva esinduse juhatajatega, ministrite ja kõrgemate ametnike vastastikustes visiitides ning iga-aastasel koostöönõukogu kohtumises. Peale selle vahetavad Euroopa Parlament ja Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi Parlament omavahel teavet Euroopa Parlamendi Aafrika esinduse kaudu ning Lõuna-Aafrika võtab aktiivselt osa AKV–ELi parlamentaarse ühisassamblee tööst. Sellist institutsioonilist korraldust peeti minevikus rahuldavaks, kuid ELi ja Lõuna-Aafrika Vabariigi strateegilist partnerlust silmas pidades vajab see läbivaatamist.

Komisjon kutsub nõukogu, Euroopa Parlamenti ning Euroopa Majandus- ja Sotsiaalkomiteed üles toetama käesoleva teatise põhiseisukohti. Eelnimetatud üldiste põhimõtete alusel teeb komisjon ettepaneku võtta vastu tegevuskava teatise rakendamise kohta, mis edastatakse käesoleva aasta lõpus ELi ja Lõuna-Aafrika ühisele koostöönõukogule ning mille tulemusena esitatakse partnerite ühisdeklaratsioon.

Sõltuvalt nõukogus, Euroopa Parlamendis ning Euroopa Majandus- ja Sotsiaalkomitees peetud arutelust ning ka Lõuna-Aafrika seisukohtadest võiks kõnealuses tegevuskavas tähelepanu pöörata:

- süvendatud poliitilisele dialoogile, mille tulemuseks on ühised poliitilised seisukohad ja ühised meetmed,

- aktiivsele ühisele piirkondlike ja globaalsete probleemide lahendamisele,

- ühiselt väljatöötatud riigipõhise strateegiadokumendi rakendamisele kooskõlas käesoleva teatisega,

- kaubandus-, arengu- ja koostöölepingu läbivaatamisele ja täielikule rakendamisele eelnimetatud prioriteetide kohaselt.

LIST OF ANNEXES

ANNEX 1 - BROAD LINES OF A JOINT ACTION PLAN TO IMPLEMENT THE COMMUNICATON

ANNEX 2 - THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

ANNEX 3 - ABBREVIATIONS

A NNEX 1

BROAD LINES OF A JOINT ACTION PLAN TO IMPLEMENT THE EU–SOUTH AFRICA STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

On the basis of the outcome of the discussions in the Council, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee, the Commission intends to draw up a draft Action Plan for the implementation of the Communication on a strategic partnership with South Africa. The draft Action Plan will be then be submitted to the Joint EU-South Africa Cooperation Council, which is expected to meet towards the end of the year. It is hoped that the partners will then adopt a Joint Declaration endorsing the Action Plan.

Such an action plan needs to be further developed but could focus on

- Strengthened political dialogue, leading to common positions and joint political action,

- Active joint involvement in regional and global issues,

- Implementation of a jointly drafted Country Strategy Paper in line with this Communication,

- Revision and full implementation of the TDCA according to the above priorities.

1. Political strategy and cooperation

As indicated in the Communication, stronger political dialogue, leading to common political positions on subjects of mutual interest and to joint political action where appropriate, forms the very backbone of the Strategic Partnership. This dialogue should be frank, open and uninhibited and exclude none of the domestic, regional, continental and global issues.

Possible themes for enhanced political and economic cooperation that could be included in the action plan are:

Domestic South African and European issues

- Economic and financial policy and Foreign Direct Investment

- HIV/AIDS

- Health and food security

- Crime

- Countering racism and xenophobia

- Land reform

- Governance, democracy and human rights

- Employment, economic growth, redistribution of wealth

- EU enlargement, neighbourhood policy

- Decent work, including employment, social safety mechanisms, social dialogue, rights at work, gender mainstreaming

- Social inclusion and cohesion

- …

Regional issues

- Social cohesion; regional integration

- See below, point 2

African matters

- EU–AU relations

- The EU–Africa summit

- The African Union

- Peace-keeping and mediation on the African continent

- The African Peace Facility

- APRM

- NEPAD

- …

International and global issues

- The MDGs

- Countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction

- Recognition of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court

- Abolition of the death penalty

- Combating terrorism

- Global environmental issues, including climate change

- Migration

- Energy security and sustainable use of energy resources

- The fight against the international drugs trade, money laundering, tax fraud and avoidance, corruption and organised crime

- Trafficking in human beings, in particular children

- ILO

- Ratification, implementation and enforcement of core labour standards

- Social dimension of globalisation

- Small arms and light weapons

- WTO and the DDA

- The reform and role of the United Nations

- Multilateralism and representations in International Financial Institutions

- The Middle East peace process

- Iraq

- Iran and nuclear non-proliferation

- …

2. Joint involvement in regional issues

Because of their topicality and particular interest, regional issues merit a special place in political dialogue and in joint action, trade cooperation, economic cooperation and development cooperation. Indeed, the regional context in Southern Africa is particularly complex and requires a sustained cooperative effort from all parties, including South Africa and Europe. The challenges the region is facing are manifold.

AIDS is hitting Southern Africa harder than any other region in the world. The impact of the pandemic on society, on the health infrastructure and services, on human resources and on the economy of the region as a whole will be hugely destructive over the coming years.

Politically speaking, the SADC region will have to come to terms with important shifts in power patterns as new regional powers are likely to emerge. In addition, it will have to find a solution to the political stalemate in the Zimbabwe crisis.

A major short-term challenge to the region is untangling the knot of regional cooperation and integration. Implementing the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan, agreeing on the right recipe for EPA negotiations, clarifying the relationship between the SADC, SACU and the TDCA are issues to be dealt with urgently.

As the prime mover in the region, South Africa needs to assume its leading role in these matters and must be able to count on Europe’s support.

3. Country Strategy Paper 2007-2013

At the moment, the Commission, nine Member States, and the South African authorities are jointly drafting a new 2007-2013 Country Strategy Paper. Care will be taken to ensure that the drafting and approval of this CSP runs parallel to the discussion and adoption of the Communication and its subsequent Action Plan and that the CSP truly translates the broad political lines set out by the Communication.

The subsequent implementation of the CSP along these lines will form part of the Action Plan.

4. TDCA review

In recent months, the review of the TDCA has led to informal contacts between the Commission and South Africa and has enabled the two sides to

- tentatively identify those provisions that may need amending (revision);

- suggest priorities for those provisions that have not been implemented yet.

As regards the provisions that have not been implemented yet, there seems to be a strong interest in deepening cooperation in the following areas: trade and trade-related areas, intellectual property rights, customs, competition policy, regional policy, sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, maritime and air transport and security, energy, information and communication technologies, mining, tourism, consumer policy, social and employment policy, science and technology, education and training.

Among the promising areas of cooperation that can be developed, are

- The environment, with particular emphasis on Climate Change

- Economic co-operation

- Information society, where promising opportunities have been identified in research and education, but also at the policy and regulatory levels as well as on activities related to the World Summit on the Information Society follow-up

- Education and training, including student, teacher and academic exchanges and a “South Africa” window in the Erasmus Mundus programme

- Industrial, maritime and air transport including safety and security aspects, mining, energy in particular in promoting energy efficiency policy and technologies as well as clean coal technologies, and the environment, where there is a clear interest in exchanging the rich experiences of both

- Justice, where exchanges of information and cooperation on extradition could be developed

- Employment and social protection; gender equality and the promotion of women's rights, labour law and dialogue between social partners, with a view to promoting productive employment and decent work for all[2]

- Youth, exchange of approaches, experience and best practice

- Enhanced cultural cooperation, which would offer both sides an opportunity to promote, strengthen and exchange their rich cultural diversity, taking into account the recently adopted UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions

- Cooperation in press and information, to improve mutual understanding and visibility

The Action Plan should contain concrete steps for implementing cooperation in these fields.

5. Institutional architecture

The Action Plan should also include proposals for institutional arrangements for political dialogue at various levels, in accordance with the ambitions of the Communication.

ANNEX 2

THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa’s current social and economic situation has been shaped by fifty years of apartheid.

Black, Asian and “coloured” South Africans were forced off the land, out of agricultural markets, and increasingly into wage labour as migrants within South Africa’s growing mining and manufacturing industries. Black South Africans were forced into overcrowded, arid “homelands”, which were economically unsustainable and dependent on agricultural “exports” from white South Africa.

“Bantu” education systems were designed to meet the need for largely unskilled labour. The apartheid regime imposed limitations on company ownership by black people and the business activities that they could engage in, mainly involving the retail supply of food and fuel. The resulting shortage of managerial and specialist skills, compounded by limited access to savings and credit institutions, is recognised today as a key constraint on growth in the small business and informal sector, as demonstrated by the relatively low proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises in South Africa.

In contrast, the largely white-owned formal sector became highly concentrated and capital-intensive. During apartheid, it grew on capital-related subsidies and import substitution in response to sanctions. The result was that, by 1990, six conglomerates centred around mining and finance controlled companies with 80% of the market capitalisation on the Johannesburg stock exchange.

Twelve years after the apartheid regime was replaced by a democratic government, South Africa remains deeply marked by its historical heritage. Remarkable achievements have been made in reconciling the masters and victims of apartheid, but the “rainbow nation” propagated by Nelson Mandela is still far away. Economic disparity prevails. Large firms in the formal economy have been able to build on the dominant position secured during apartheid to take advantage of the new opportunities in post-apartheid South Africa. This contrasts starkly with the previously neglected subsistence and informal economies, in which many of the black majority of the population still live in dire poverty[3]. While the Government is committed to narrowing the enormous gap between rich and poor through a set of comprehensive policy measures such as employment generation, Black Economic Empowerment, skills development and social grants, a fundamental turn-around has not yet been achieved, leaving the country with the risk of growing discontent among the poor, with corresponding possible threats to its internal political stability.

1. Political situation

Since 1994, in line with the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) , the government of South Africa has set out to dismantle the social relations of apartheid and create a democratic society based on equity, non-racialism and non-sexism. New policies and programmes have been put in place to substantially improve the quality of life of the vast majority of the people.

The RDP, the core of all post-1994 policies, has as its objectives:

- Meeting basic needs

- Building the economy

- Democratising the state and society

- Developing human resources

- Nation building

Although much remains to be done in order to consolidate the foundations of its young democracy , in which human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected, South Africa has made great efforts towards institutionalising democracy, and the country has experienced a stable political environment. Achievements to date include:

- A multi-party political system

- A functioning parliamentary democracy

- The entrenchment of constitutionalism and the rule of law

- An independent judiciary

- Mechanisms for accountability, transparency and information in public administration

The first general and free national and provincial elections in April 1994 put an end to apartheid and brought Nelson Mandela, leader of the African National Congress (ANC), to power as President of a Government of National Unity. The second and third elections held in June 1999 and April 2004 confirmed the mandate for the ANC, with Thabo Mbeki as President. In 2004, the ANC, which regularly gains the majority of black votes, received a little over a two-thirds majority. Since 2004, it has also been running all nine provinces. The ANC is in an alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party, with which it established common lists for the elections. The main official opposition in Parliament is formed by the Democratic Alliance. The New National Party, led in 1994 by ex-President De Klerk, decided to disband in 2005 and to integrate with the ANC. The share of Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s Inkatha Freedom Party (based in KwaZulu-Natal) has been continuously shrinking (to 7% at national level in 2004). There are other smaller parties such as the Pan African Congress, Independent Democrats and Freedom Front, which have an active but small role in the debate on domestic and foreign policy issues.

During apartheid, civil society played a prominent role in taking pro-active action against the government to bring about political change. Since 1994, civil society has continued to make a vital and important impact on South African society by advocating proper and effective governance and by championing issues such as poverty, gender parity and the efficacy of service delivery, engaging the government on tangible reforms. However, it has been weakened by the loss of the donor funding that it received during apartheid, and the loss of many of its members to government, the civil service and the private sector. Thus, while new partnerships between civil society organisations and the government have gradually emerged, especially for service delivery in some social sectors, there is undoubtedly scope for strengthening the advocacy and campaigning role of civil society.

In spite of intense efforts to further the peace and reconciliation process following the apartheid era, both public authorities and civil society are conscious of the need to address the issues of exclusion and non-integration, which are still prevalent in all layers of South African society. In this context, the approval of the Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) Charter and, more specifically, the implementation of the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Act of 2003 are important steps towards economic inclusion and equity for the black majority of the population . However, black empowerment at the workplace is slow and much remains to be done to implement a “broad based” black economic empowerment.

South Africa plays a key role in the Southern African region. It contributes 50% of the GDP of sub-Saharan Africa, and close to 75% of the GDP of the SADC. South African investment in the rest of Southern Africa represents 49% of the region’s FDI, and 80% of trade in Southern Africa is with South Africa. Most of this consists of South African exports to the rest of the region. In addition, South Africa’s business expansion into the region is gaining momentum, and there is a long history of regional labour migration to the country. Furthermore, South Africa’s capacity in science and technology represents a significant resource for the region in general. While its economic dominance translates into significant political influence, South Africa’s diplomacy is based on consultation, consent and consensus. However, South Africa’s policy of “quiet diplomacy” vis-à-vis Zimbabwe has not yet had the desired results.

South Africa plays an active role at international and pan-African level , also as a mediator between the developed and the developing world. South Africa plays a crucial role within the African Union, NEPAD, the Non-Aligned Movement, the WTO and the Commonwealth of Nations. It has been the international venue for high-profile global conferences, including the World Summit on Sustainable Development. South Africa has concluded or is negotiating numerous multilateral and bilateral agreements within the WTO framework, notably with the EU, MERCOSUR, the USA and EFTA. In the area of peace and security as well, South Africa has been playing a very active and constructive role on the African continent. Here, it has been involved in addressing crises and brokering conflict resolution in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Liberia, Sudan and Côte d’Ivoire.

2. Economic situation

Economic growth in the first 10 years after the end of the apartheid regime averaged only 2.9% per annum, but increased to 4.5% in 2004 and has been estimated at 5.0% in 2005. South Africa’s economy has moved from being dominated by mining (share in 2005 only 7%) and agriculture (in 2005 only 3%) to a situation where manufacturing (2005: 20%) and services (2005: 70%) contribute the main shares of GDP.

In recent years, macro-economic stability has been achieved. As a result, the government has had room to increase its expenditure. Fiscal policy has become more expansionary, while keeping within prudent limits. Since 2000, the budget deficit has remained between 1.4 and 2.3% of GDP. For 2005, the deficit has been estimated at 0.5%. Overall, public debt amounts to 30.5% of GDP and public expenditure remains at an affordable and sustainable level of 27% of GDP.

The achievement of macro-economic stability is also due to the strict monetary policy applied since the late 1990s, resulting in a reduced inflation rate of 3.9% in 2005, well within the South African Reserve Bank’s 3-6% target range. Since the middle of 2003, the Reserve Bank has been in a position to reduce interest rates, cutting the repo rate from 13.5% to 7%, which has also stimulated domestic demand and economic growth. In April 2005, when deciding on a further lowering of the interest rate, the Reserve Bank slightly changed its position: for the first time it took into consideration not only the level of inflation but also the impact of exchange rate fluctuations on the export sectors and thus on unemployment.

As regards external stability , following the depreciation of the rand in early 2001, the currency has strengthened considerably since the middle of 2002. This has had a dampening effect on the exports of the mining and manufacturing sectors and therefore implications for economic growth as well. Increased domestic demand resulting from a growing economy and lower interest rates, combined with lower prices for foreign products, has led to increased imports. As a consequence, the current account surplus enjoyed until 2002 became a deficit of about 4% of GDP in 2005. This reversal took place mainly vis-à-vis the EU, South Africa’s major trading partner. While South Africa had enjoyed a trade surplus with the EU since 1998, this turned into a slight deficit in 2004. So far, the current account deficit has been easily financed by significant portfolio inflows. Inflows of foreign direct investment continue to grow, though levels remain low and volatile, below $1bn per year or 3.2% of GDP. To counter the rand’s volatility, the Reserve Bank is in the process of increasing its foreign reserves to US $22 billion (23 weeks of imports) by February 2006.

However, this bright side of the economic medal also has a very prominent dark side. South Africa is a dual economy with high inequality in economic and social living standards, based on racial lines and on an urban/rural divide. The modern sector, built up under apartheid, has been best placed to take advantage of trade liberalisation and macroeconomic stability. Much of this comprises large, capital-intensive firms. Smaller firms and those in the informal economy have done less well. Many black, Asian and coloured South Africans live a precarious existence in the “second economy”, moving between unemployment, working in the informal sector (often as “hawkers”) and low-paid jobs in the formal sector. Often they have to travel great distances to formal jobs because of the apartheid policy of locating their communities away from the centres of formal employment. The “second economy” is also home to millions of the poor, mostly black, marginalised and unskilled, who engage in informal activities mainly for sheer survival.

While the country has an advanced physical infrastructure as well as sophisticated financial, IT and telecommunication networks similar to those of the developed world[4], it also faces extreme deprivation and exclusion and a level of poverty that compares to most least-developed countries. The Gini coefficient of 0.58 illustrates this significant social and economic divide in South Africa. This affects mainly the black population: almost 50% of the black population live below the national poverty line, against only 2% of whites[5].

The steady though modest economic growth and a stable internal and external macro-economic situation have not brought down unemployment, the key economic and social problem of the country.

Slow economic growth, a result of low investment and saving rates (16% and 15% of GDP, respectively), coupled with the continued ability of capital-intensive firms to benefit from the base built up under apartheid, has curtailed the demand for labour. The opening up of the economy has reduced the importance of sectors such as mining and clothes and textiles in favour of growth in sectors such as wholesale and retail trade, services, construction and communications. Jobs are being created, but not fast enough to incorporate the number of new entrants into the labour market. The apartheid legacy has left South Africa with structural obstacles to employment, with people living far from sources of employment growth, workers lacking skills, potential entrepreneurs lacking both collateral and access to financial and business services and a highly concentrated business structure. A workforce that is increasing faster (by 35% between 1995 and 2002) than the number of employment opportunities (by only 12% during the same period) has also contributed to unemployment. Presently, unemployment stands at between 26% and 41% of the workforce, depending on whether or not “discouraged” workers are included[6]. Of the unemployed, a large majority are young people[7]. There are proportionately more women unemployed then men and unemployment is geographically skewed, with the highest levels found in the provinces of Limpopo, KwaZulu Natal and the Free State.

Linked to the issue of unemployment is the problem of missing relevant skills among the labour force . Qualified employees are not only lacking in comparison to the needs of a growing economy and social system, but are also emigrating in large numbers, attracted by perceived better financial and living conditions abroad. In contrast, the growing numbers of unskilled young people entering the labour market do not meet the requirements of employers in either the social or economic sectors. On the other hand, there is a long history of regional labour migration to South Africa, which continues to act as a magnet for migrants of many kinds. These include skilled professionals, unskilled job seekers, illegal migrants, refugees, and cross-border traders; with human trafficking on the rise. While South Africa has ‘exported’ skills to the developed world, it has also contributed to the drain on skills in other parts of the region and the continent[8]. In total, however, the skills gap is considered a major impediment to economic growth.

One way of boosting the development of the second economy and employment is the promotion of small, micro and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs )[9]. However, the anticipated employment boom in this sector has remained below expectations. Employment in the informal sector fell by 17% between September 2000 and March 2005[10]. This could possibly be attributed to a regulatory environment biased against SMMEs, and certainly to difficulties in gaining access to finance. There is an ongoing debate on whether to shift the focus away from promoting grassroots SMMEs towards establishing downstream and upstream links with larger (first economy) companies to integrate the SMMEs (second economy) into the development value-chain of the economy as a whole. This debate illustrates the need for a coherent strategy on how to develop the second economy and a comprehensive employment growth policy. Additional research and political discussion are required for more informed decision-making in this area.

Both the first and second economies have considerable adverse environmental impacts . South Africa is currently among the world’s top 20 greenhouse gas polluters, with an expected increase in emissions of 30% over the coming ten years[11]. There is ample room for energy-saving and climate-friendly technologies. Systematic and thorough environmental impact assessments are often not available due to the lack of capacity.

3. Social situation

A strong social network in support of those who cannot earn a living from the first or second economy is considered as the third pillar of South Africa’s socio-economic system. Remarkable efforts have been made to provide social services to previously disadvantaged communities. Government budgetary expenditure on social services has increased dramatically over the last 10 years and now represents about 63% of the total budget. Since 1994, close to 9 million people have been provided with a basic water supply: today, 85% of households have access to clean water. Over 1.5 million houses have been built to provide shelter to over 6 million people. At the beginning of the new millennium, 64% of households were living in formal houses. Over 500 000 houses were connected to the main electricity grid so that 70% of households were using electricity for lighting. As regards the health sector, the immunisation coverage of children against common infectious diseases has risen to 90% and the usage of antenatal clinics is as high as 95%. In the field of education, the gross enrolment rate in secondary schools increased to 89% in 2004 and matriculation pass rates improved from 49.3% in 1998 to 73.3% in 2003 and 70.7% in 2004 .

To deepen and broaden democracy, local governments have been given responsibility for delivering social and administrative services to their populations - health, education, water/sanitation, infrastructures, environmental protection, etc. But during the initial stage of the transfer of responsibilities, local governments were overwhelmed with the task. The underspending by provincial departments of conditional grants earmarked for basic services highlights this fact. Poor service delivery at local level has become the cause for riots and unrest in the communities concerned.

A major threat to stable social and economic development with higher economic growth is coming from the HIV/AIDS pandemic . The estimated number of HIV-infected people has grown from 3.8 million in 1999 to 5.2 million in 2005. This represents an estimated adult prevalence rate of 21.5%, which is substantially higher among the black than the white population. Currently only some 80 000 out of 500 000 to 750 000 people are receiving antiretroviral treatment[12]. The medium- to long-term consequences of the pandemic will be very high social and economic costs following a reduction in the total population, reduced life expectancy and the loss of economically active people, coupled with a drastic increase in the number of orphans[13].

South African crime levels are among the highest in the world. Although recent statistics released by the government in 2004/2005 indicate that some crime rates are declining, the high level of crime and violence has highly adverse effects on the lives and the well-being of all parts of the population. It also risks having adverse effects on domestic economic viability and on foreign direct investment in South Africa. White-collar crime in the form of corruption has a damaging effect on development for the poor and on public confidence in government, both nationally and at local level. The issue has received particular attention from the government.

Access to justice for vulnerable and indigent groups of the population remains an issue, partly due to the difficult accessibility mainly in rural areas and partly due to an overburdened system. The state’s response to crime has so far tended rather towards retribution, resulting in tougher laws and maximum sentencing, leading to the highest incarceration rate in Africa[14], while restorative justice approaches still need to be explored.

Under the apartheid regime, around 6 million people were forcibly moved from their land. As a result, land and land reform are unquestionably emotive issues. In 2000, the South African government recommitted itself to its 1994 RDP target of transferring 30% of the country’s agricultural land, around 24 million ha, to previously disadvantaged communities by 2014. The implementation of the land reform has, however, made only slow progress. Since 1994, black ownership of land has increased by only 3% (2.3 million ha) to 16% at present (12.8 million ha). As regards land restitution, of a total of 79 000 claims originally lodged, 57 900 have been settled at a cost of R2.5 billion. The deadline for settling claims has had to be extended to 2007. The slow progress of the reform has increased voices of discontent, in particular from organisations such as the Alliance of Land and Agrarian Reform (ALARM) composed of landless people’s organisations, NGOs, small farmer and producer groups and the South African Communist party. It is in general recognised that faster progress is required in order to ensure social cohesion and political stability.

4. Environment situation

As both an industrialised and a developing country, South Africa faces environmental challenges of both kinds. The causes and effects of climate change, air pollution resulting in acid rain, growth in water usage outpacing supply, pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge, soil erosion and desertification are among the major problems the country has to tackle.

Emissions from vehicles (aeroplanes, ships, trains and road vehicles), contribute 44% of the total national nitric oxide emissions and 45% of the total national volatile organic compound emissions (VOC). This is particularly a problem in urban areas.

The energy sector as a whole is the single largest source of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the primary causes of climate change , and sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions in South Africa. This is mainly due to the reliance on coal (75% of its primary energy) and oil or its products. A growing energy demand, combined with a continued reliance on coal, as well as a growing transport sector, will create increasing pressure on South Africa to tackle its greenhouse gas emissions to help address the causes from climate change. At the same time, South Africa's climatic sensitivity, with most crop agriculture taking place where it is only just climatically viable, will increase the need to adapt to the growing impacts of climate change.

South Africa is an arid country with only 8.6% of the rainfall available as surface water. This is one of the lowest conversion ratios in the world. Similar to surface waters, South Africa's groundwater resources are relatively limited compared to world averages. The scarcity of freshwater resources and highly variable hydrological conditions have led to every major river in South Africa being regulated in order to ensure adequate water supply for development. South Africa's available freshwater resources are already almost fully-utilised and under stress. At the projected population growth and economic development rates and with the increasing impacts of climate change it is unlikely that the projected demand on water resources in South Africa will be sustainable. Limits to both water supply and quality are thus likely to restrain the country's further socio-economic development. Many water resources are polluted by industrial effluents, domestic and commercial sewage, acid mine drainage, agricultural runoff and litter. To augment supplies, South Africa is looking towards water sources in other southern African countries (e.g. Lesotho) to assist in providing sufficient water for projected future demands.

More than 90% of South Africa’s land surface falls within a desertification risk area. The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry is promoting, via its National Action Plan, the development of community forestry to reduce the pressure on natural woodlands which as the only source of energy for many poor suffer from rapid depletion.

South Africa's coastal and marine resources are under considerable threat and are already severely degraded in many areas due to over-harvesting and urban/industrial development. Coastal areas in South Africa are mainly used for tourism, recreation and leisure, commercial and recreational fishing, agriculture and mining. Many South Africans are dependent on the coast for their subsistence. At present, it is estimated that about 12 million people live within 60 km of the coast, which constitutes about 30% of the population. Thus coastal and marine resources play a major role in sustaining the economic and social development, and contribute to the employment and food security of local populations. The major land-based pollutants are wastewater from industries and sewerage as well as run off from agricultural lands and urban areas. South Africa is situated on one of the major global oil tanker routes which, together with its notoriously rough sea conditions, make it highly vulnerable to oil spills. This is reflected in the relatively high number of shipping accidents, which have been recorded.

South Africa has one of the world's greatest diversity of plant and animal species contained within one country, and is home to many species found nowhere else in the world. With increasing demand for land restitution it is anticipated that there will be increased loss of natural habitats and, with it, potential loss of biodiversity.

South Africa's total waste stream for 1998 was estimated at 538 million tonnes of which industrial and mining waste amounts to about 470 million tonnes per annum (87%). Non-hazardous industrial waste amounts to approximately 16 million tonnes. 95% of urban waste is disposed of on landfill sites of which there are about 1,200 in South Africa.

South Africa has put in place a set of legislation and regulatory instruments to address these issues, which includes

- The Environmental Impact Assessment regulations and the associated schedule of activities as well as the Guideline Document for the Implementation of the Environmental Impact Assessment regulations were adopted in 1997,

- The Development Facilitation Act, 1995,

- The National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (NEMA),

- National Water Act, 1998.

In addition South Africa has signed or adhered to several international environment conventions [15] .

5. Medium Term Challenges

Over the next decade, South Africa must maintain a coherent and structured approach to tackling poverty by integrating it into sector policies, strategies, project activities and budgetary allocations. The vision for 2014 is to reach a united, non-racial, non-sexist and democratic society. The consolidation of democracy will be closely linked with measures aimed at integrating all of society into a growing economy from which all people can benefit. Failure to reach this target might well result in continued unacceptably high levels of economic and social poverty and inequality, which will adversely affect political stability, as occasional demonstrations and protests among the poor have already suggested.

High unemployment, resulting in poverty, crime and, eventually, political instability, as well as the incessant spread of the HIV/AIDS pandemic are the current main challenges facing South African society.

One way of tackling unemployment is considered to be sustainable higher economic growth, in particular resulting from labour-intensive economic activities. Under this approach, the first economy will need to continue to play the dominant economic role, but with the focus on supporting and strengthening the second economy to enable it to become part of the mainstream economy of South Africa. In this context, skills development in all crucial areas is high on the priority agenda. This approach should address the inequality of income distribution too. A further aim is to limit and, if possible, reduce the dependence of a large number of households on social grants.

The good health of the population is a further prerequisite for the prosperous social and economic development of South Africa. Key challenges in the health sector therefore include the expansion of access to the primary health-care system. This concerns in particular maternal and child health and infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other communicable diseases), which need to be addressed in order to reduce mortality and morbidity. A multi-faceted approach to combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic needs to be placed high on the agenda, covering at least three areas: prevention, addressing health system constraints to scale up anti-retroviral treatment, and care for the increasing number of orphans and vulnerable children. Tackling these infectious/communicable diseases will also necessitate further EU-South Africa cooperation and partnership in the field of the clinical research for the development of new drugs and vaccines.

The fight against criminality (including corruption) and respect for the rule of law is a huge challenge that requires major investment in human resources and equipment. This needs to be coupled with strengthening of the capacity of law-enforcement agencies and strong cooperative partnerships with communities and civil society organisations. Crime prevention and the introduction of a credible restorative justice approach need to complement the mainly retributive approach so far pursued.

Social, political, economic and environmental stability can only be ensured in South Africa if the challenge of access to land and security of tenure is met. This has to be seen as part of a strategy to uplift the rural poor and give them access to the mainstream economy, while at the same time guaranteeing the constitutional protection of property rights. This process must ensure that the beneficiaries of land restitution and redistribution are able to use the land in a productive manner, which is the key to building sustainability into the process of redistributing assets to previously disadvantaged communities .

The protection of the environment and the sustainable use of natural resources also present a major challenge in the medium term.

All of the above challenges require better delivery of services to South Africans. This has become a major preoccupation for the government. In order to be able to meet these challenges and to deliver, government needs to continue its efforts to strengthen its own institutional and administrative capacity at national, provincial and local level. Capacity building efforts must consequently be considerably strengthened, in particular at local level.

Participation by communities and civil society is key to policy implementation. Public-private partnership encourages the mobilisation of private resources for development objectives. Specific mechanisms to ensure participation and partnership at local level are crucial.

In the light of South Africa’s current political and economic position and power as well as of its enormous additional potential, the country has a vital political role to play at international level in advocating the interest of developing countries. At pan-African level, the AU and NEPAD are faced with tremendous challenges in establishing functioning democracies based on peace and security and with the capacity for the sustainable development required to alleviate poverty. South Africa is expected to be continuously engaged in this important process[16].

ANNEX 3

Abbreviations

ACP | Africa, Caribbean, Pacific |

AIDS | Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome |

ANC | African National Congress |

APRM | African Peer Review Mechanism |

ASF | African Standby Force |

AU | African Union |

BEE | Black Economic Empowerment |

BRICS | Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa |

CSP | Country Strategy Paper |

EC | European Community |

EDCTP | European and Developing countries Clinical Trials Partnership |

EDF | European Development Fund |

EP | European Parliament |

EPA | Economic Partnership Agreement |

EPRD | European Programme for Reconstruction and Development |

ESDP | European Security and Defence Policy |

EU | European Union |

FTA | Free Trade Agreement |

G8 | Group of 8 |

GDP | Gross Domestic Product |

GNI | Gross National Income |

HIV | Human Immunodeficiency Virus |

ICT | Information and Communications Technology |

LDC | Least Developed Countries |

LIC | Low Income Countries |

MDGs | Millennium Development Goals |

MIC | Middle Income Countries |

MIP | Multi-annual Indicative Programme |

NEPAD | New Partnership for Africa’s Development |

NGO | Non-Governmental Organisation |

ODA | Official Development Assistance |

OECD | Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development |

PRSP | Poverty Reduction Strategy Process |

REC | Regional Economic Community |

RDP | Reconstruction and Development Programme |

RIP | Regional Indicative Programme |

RISDP | Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (SADC) |

SACU | Southern African Customs Union |

SADC | Southern African Development Community |

SMEs | Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises |

SMMEs | Small, Micro and Medium-Sized Enterprises |

SWEEEP | Sector Wide Enterprise, Employment and Equity Programme |

TDCA | Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement |

UN | United Nations |

WTO | World Trade Organisation |

[1] Hinnangute järgi on 2010. aastaks umbes 1,5 miljonit HIVi/AIDSi tõttu orvuks jäänud last.

[2] COM(2006) 249: Promoting decent work for all - The EU contribution to the implementation of the decent work agenda in the world.

[3] These contrasting situations conform roughly to what President Mbeki has termed the “first” and “second” economies. The second economy is “characterised by underdevelopment, contributes little to GDP, contains a big percentage of our population, incorporates the poorest of our rural and urban poor, is structurally disconnected from both the first and the global economy and is incapable of self-generated growth and development”.

[4] Infrastructure, however, is reaching its capacity limits mainly in power supply, ports and railway transport systems, creating the need for big investment programmes (outside ODA).

[5] The black population grew by 7.5 million people, or 25%, between 1994 and 2004 (coloureds by 0.6 million or 19%, Indians by 0.1 million or 12%, whites by 0.1 million or 2%).

[6] Employment statistics vary according to sources and can only indicate orders of magnitude and major trends, if any. Stats SA has since recently used only the lower figure.

[7] Currently more than two thirds of South Africans aged between 18 and 35 are unemployed.

[8] This explains the long delays in the finalisation of a protocol on the free movement of people within the SADC.

[9] Official statistics estimate that around one quarter of the whole workforce is employed in the informal sector (particularly in agriculture, construction and the wholesale and retail trade). SMMEs contribute 30% to GDP and account for 50-60% of formal employment.

[10] Stats SA: Labour Force Survey.

[11] In addition, the so-called “brown” environment issues adversely affect the lives mainly of the poor urban and peri-urban population.

[12] Government has allocated more than R3.4 bn for antiretroviral drugs up to end of 2007.

[13] It is estimated that there will be about 1.5 million children orphaned by HIV/AIDS by 2010.

[14] 413 of every 100 000 inhabitants (2004), with 186 000 prisoners held in overcrowded detention houses.

[15] These include:UNFCCC - Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992, New York) (UN)Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (1989, Basle) (UNEP)UNCBD - Convention on Biological Diversity (1992, Rio) (UN)UNCCD - United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (1994, Paris)London Convention 1972 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other MatterCITES - Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna) 1973RAMSAR - The Convention on Wetlands, Ramsar, Iran, 1971.

[16] South Africa has already developed a range of instruments to this effect, such as the Renaissance Fund, DBSA, etc.