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Bruselj, 28.6.2006

COM(2006) 347 konč.

SPOROČILO KOMISIJE SVETU, IN EVROPSKEMU PARLAMENTU

Strateškemu partnerstvu EU - Južna Afrika naproti

SPOROČILO KOMISIJE SVETU, IN EVROPSKEMU PARLAMENTU

Strateškemu partnerstvu EU - Južna Afrika naproti

UVOD

Južna Afrika je država, bistveno drugačna od tiste, ki se je pred dvanajstimi leti osvobodila aparthaida. Iz travme apartheida je prešla v demokratično, strpno in večrasno družbo. Dosegla je finančno in gospodarsko stabilnost, ki je državi omogočila nadaljnjo gospodarsko rast v korist vseh njenih prebivalcev. Postala je ena vodilnih držav in mirovni posrednik v regiji in na afriški celini. Uživa ugled ne samo v Afriki, temveč tudi v svetovnih večstranskih institucijah.

Razširjena EU je s sprejetjem treh ključnih političnih dokumentov o razvojnih ciljih novega tisočletja, evropskem soglasju o razvoju in strategiji EU za Afriko razvila nov pristop do sodelovanja med severom in jugom. Tako krepi svoje zunanjepolitično delovanje in spodbuja svetovno stabilnost, varnost in blaginjo.

Zato je Južna Afrika naravna partnerica Evrope na afriški celini in v svetovnem merilu. Z graditvijo na skupnih vrednotah in vzajemnih interesih, kot tudi na globokih kulturnih vezeh sta EU in Južna Afrika razvili večstransko, globoko partnerstvo, ki temelji na „Sporazumu o trgovini, razvoju in sodelovanju“ (STRS) med Južno Afriko, Evropsko skupnostjo in njenimi državami članicami.

Vendar pa danes odnosi med Južno Afriko in EU zahtevajo večjo skladnost, jasne cilje in skupno v prihodnost usmerjeno politično vizijo, da bi lahko okrepili skupno politično delovanje. Partnerstvo mora jasno poudariti, kaj lahko strani pričakujeta ena od druge na domačem, regionalnem, celinskem in globalnem področju in ob tem ustrezno upoštevati posebna položaja Južne Afrike in Evropske unije v novem, globaliziranem svetu.

Namen tega sporočila o strateškem partnerstvu z Južno Afriko je torej predlagati celovit, skladen in usklajen dolgoročni okvir za politično sodelovanje z Republiko Južna Afrika, okvir, ki upošteva travmatično zgodovino Južne Afrike, njeno vlogo dejavnika stabilnosti v regiji in njen edinstveni položaj na celini in na svetovnem prizorišču.

1. JUžNA AFRIKA PO APARTHAIDU

Dvanajst let po koncu apartheida, ki je pustil globok pečat na vseh družbenih ravneh, se Južna Afrika še vedno sooča s svojo nedavno travmatično preteklostjo, kljub temu pa je dosegla izreden napredek.

Na notranjem področju si vlada od leta 1994 prizadeva razstaviti družbene odnose apartheida in oblikovati demokratično družbo, ki bo temeljila na pravičnosti, rasni enakopravnosti ter spoštovanju pravic verskih, kulturnih, jezikovnih in avtohtonih skupnosti. Vpeljane so bile nove politike in programi, namenjeni izboljšanju kakovosti življenja velike večine ljudi, vključno z zagotavljanjem osnovnih storitev socialnega skrbstva ter pozitivno diskriminacijo, vpeljano s politiko „gospodarske krepitve črnskega prebivalstva“.

Med dosedanjimi dosežki so:

- ustavni večstrankarski politični sistem,

- delujoča parlamentarna demokracija,

- prevladujoč občutek ustavnosti in pravne države,

- mehanizmi za odgovornost, preglednost in obveščanje v javni upravi,

- neodvisno sodstvo.

Z gospodarskega stališča je najbolj presenetljiva značilnost države njeno dvojno gospodarstvo, ki je zapuščina apartheida in temelji na rasni delitvi, pri čemer približno polovica prebivalstva živi pod mejo revščine.

Od konca apartheida država uspešno zagotavlja notranjo in zunanjo makroekonomsko stabilnost. Javna poraba je na splošno ostala na vzdržni ravni z javnim primanjkljajem, manjšim od 3 % BDP. Vendar pa se mora rast formalnega gospodarstva še naprej razvijati, da bi se lahko dosegel odločen gospodarski zagon ter nastajanje novih delovnih mest in vključitev „neformalnega“ gospodarstva. Obeti za prihodnja leta so bolj pozitivni in nova vladna politika „Pospešena in deljena pobuda rasti za Južno Afriko“ je s spodbujanjem gospodarske rasti in zaposlovanja usmerjena v boj proti revščini in zmanjšanju neenakosti.

Največji družbeni izziv, s katerim se sooča država, so nedvomno velike družbene in gospodarske razlike, ki vplivajo na celotno družbo. To je še bolj vidno v dveh dramatičnih vprašanjih, ki izstopata zaradi svojih potencialno zelo škodljivih učinkov na družbo kot celoto:

- alarmantno visoka stopnja razširjenosti virusa HIV/AIDS, saj se ocena števila okuženih ljudi približuje šestim milijonom. Ta ocena prestavlja razširjenost okužbe na 21,5 % odraslega prebivalstva. Srednje- in dolgoročne posledice te pandemije bodo zelo visoki družbeni in gospodarski stroški zaradi zmanjšanja celotnega števila prebivalstva, skrajšanja pričakovane življenjske dobe in izgube gospodarsko aktivnih ljudi, skupaj z velikim povečanjem števila sirot[1].

- stopnja tako navadnega kot organiziranega kriminala in nasilja, ki so mu izpostavljene zlasti ženske in otroci, in je povezan z mednarodno trgovino z ljudmi v južnoafriški regiji.

Južna Afrika se sooča s pomembnimi okoljskimi izzivi. Dejavniki, kot so dostop do vode za kmetijstvo in pitne vode, erozija prsti in dezertifikacija, ravnanje z odpadki in onesnaževanje, vplivajo na varnost preskrbe s hrano, dolgoročno blaginjo in gospodarski razvoj najrevnejših, zlasti podeželskega prebivalstva. Poleg tega bodo podnebne spremembe najverjetneje še poslabšale številna od teh okoljskih vprašanj in prinesle nove izzive. Južna Afrika se mora spoprijeti s povečanjem emisij toplogrednih plinov iz prometnega sektorja ter zlasti iz energetskega sektorja, v katerem pridobivanje električne energije temelji zlasti na premogu in bo tako najverjetneje tudi ostalo.

V južnoafriški regiji Južna Afrika skupaj z Bocvano, Lesotom, Namibijo in Svazijem tvori Južnoafriško carinsko unijo. Od leta 1994 je članica Južnoafriške razvojne skupnosti (SADC), regionalne gospodarske skupnosti južne Afrike, ki vključuje 14 držav. Južna Afrika igra ključno vlogo v regiji. Njen delež znaša 50 % BDP podsaharske Afrike in blizu 75 % BDP držav SADC. Južnoafriška vlaganja v druge dele južne Afrike pomenijo 49 % neposrednih tujih vlaganj v regiji, poleg tega pa 80 % trgovine v južni Afriki poteka z Republiko Južno Afriko. Večino tega je izvoz iz južne Afrike v preostale dele regije. Poleg tega se povečuje poslovna širitev Južne Afrike v regijo, obstaja pa tudi že dolga zgodovina regionalne migracije delovne sile v državo. Tudi južnoafriške zmogljivosti v znanosti in tehnologiji so pomemben vir za regijo na splošno.

Na ravni celine je Južna Afrika ključni predstavnik razvijajočega se juga. Igra odločilno vlogo v okviru Afriške unije in je ena od pobudnic in gonilnih sil Novega partnerstva za razvoj Afrike (NEPAD). Na področju miru in varnosti je na afriški celini igrala konstruktivno vlogo kot posrednica in mirovna sila, na primer v Ruandi, Demokratični republiki Kongo, Burundiju, Liberiji, Sudanu in Slonokoščeni obali. S svojim nadaljnjim delovanjem si prizadeva poiskati rešitev krize v Zimbabveju.

V svetovnem merilu je Južna Afrika ena od vodilnih držav gibanja neuvrščenih. Je članica STO in Commonwealtha ter v teh organizacijah igra zelo dejavno vlogo. Na pogovorih v Dohi si Južna Afrika kot članica G-20 in Cairnske skupine s strateškimi zavezništvi in koalicijami prizadeva doseči skupni pristop z drugimi državami v razvoju, da bi tako v pogajanjih v STO okrepila razvojno razsežnost in pospešila vključitev držav v razvoju v večstranski trgovinski sistem. Južna Afrika prav tako igra pomembno vlogo pri reformi Organizacije združenih narodov. Poleg tega se je nedavno pridružila Braziliji, Rusiji, Indiji in Kitajski v skupini hitro razvijajočih se držav donatoric in bo najverjetneje razvila svojo vlogo donatorice na afriški celini. In končno, Južna Afrika je začela dejavneje sodelovati v razpravah o nadaljnjih večstranskih ukrepih o podnebnih spremembah.

2. Odnosi EU - Južna Afrika

Južna Afrika in EU delita skupne politične, družbene in etične vrednote , kot so demokracija, človekove pravice, spoštovanje pravne države in dobrega javnega upravljanja, strpnost, enakost, zavezanost boju proti revščini in socialni izključenosti ter pospeševanje trajnostnega razvoja.

Strinjata se o osnovnih gospodarskih načelih socialnega tržnega gospodarstva, svobodne trgovine in pravične mednarodne gospodarske ureditve.

Obe sta dejavno zavezani agendi miru in stabilnosti, upravljanja, demokratizacije in boja proti revščini na celotni afriški celini. Obe verjameta v večstranske rešitve mednarodnih sporov in imata interes pri zagotavljanju, da se glasovi držav v razvoju in hitro razvijajočih se držav slišijo na mednarodnem prizorišču.

Sporazum o trgovini, razvoju in sodelovanju (STRS) je pravna podlaga vseh odnosov med Južno Afriko in EU. Vključuje politični dialog, trgovino, razvojno sodelovanje, gospodarsko sodelovanje in sodelovanje na številnih drugih področjih. Južna Afrika je tudi pogodbenica Sporazuma iz Cotonouja, vendar pa nima dostopa do njegovih finančnih instrumentov ali preferencialnega trgovinskega režima.

2.1. Politični dialog

Politični dialog poteka vse od konca režima apartheida v obliki neformalnih razgovorov na ravni vodje misije v Pretoriji in obiskov politikov in visokih uradnikov v obeh smereh.

Strukturiran in formalni politični dialog, kot ga navaja člen 4 STRS, se je začel v okviru „Sveta za sodelovanje“, skupnega organa, ki je namenjen nadzorovanju celotnih odnosov med EU in Južno Afriko. Od leta 2004 se je Svet za sodelovanje srečal na ministrski ravni, temu pa je sledilo srečanje „trojke“ o političnih vprašanjih.

Partnerici obravnavata politični dialog kot bistveni sestavni del njunega partnerstva. Ta ponuja priložnost za izmenjavo pogledov o široki paleti domačih, regionalnih, celinskih in svetovnih vprašanj, vključno s HIV/AIDS, Zimbabvejem, NEPAD in Afriško unijo, mirovnimi operacijami v Afriki in pomočjo za mir v Afriki, širitvijo Evropske unije, razvojem dogodkov znotraj Organizacije združenih narodov, bližnjevzhodnim mirovnim procesom ter mednarodnim terorizmom.

2.2. Trgovina

EU je glavni gospodarski trgovinski partner Južne Afrike, saj predstavlja približno 32 % njenega izvoza in 41 % njenega uvoza. Južna Afrika je tudi največji trgovinski partner EU v Afriki. Izvoz EU v Južno Afriko se je od začetka veljavnosti STRS v povprečju povečal za 9,5 % letno.

Trgovinske določbe STRS veljajo od leta 2000 in zajemajo okoli 90 % dvostranske trgovine med partnericama. Te določbe imajo pozitiven učinek na trgovinske odnose med partnericama in so temelj za oblikovanje območja proste trgovine, ki naj bi bilo končano do leta 2012. Uvajanje območja proste trgovine je asimetrično v smislu, da EU svoj trg odpira hitreje in za več izdelkov kot Južna Afrika.

2.3. Razvojno sodelovanje

EU je daleč najpomembnejša donatorica: Komisija in države članice skupaj zagotavljajo okoli 70 % vseh donatorskih sredstev, kar znaša okoli 1,3 % vladnega proračuna in okoli 0,3 % BDP.

Razvojno sodelovanje v obliki „Evropskega programa za obnovo in razvoj“ znaša skoraj 130 milijonov EUR na leto in se financira iz proračuna Skupnosti. Usmerjeno je zlasti na pospeševanje gospodarskih dejavnosti in rast ter na socialne storitve. Na slednjem področju je bil velik del pomoči usmerjen v zagotavljanje vode in sanitarne ureditve, v izobraževanje ter v izgradnjo zmogljivosti v zdravstvu kot obliko prispevka v boju proti HIV/AIDS v državi.

Prav tako ima Evropska investicijska banka z Južno Afriko sklenjen memorandum o soglasju in ji ob garancijah Skupnosti zagotavlja posojila v povprečni vrednosti 120 milijonov EUR na leto.

Ocene so pokazale, da je razvojno sodelovanje EU - Južna Afrika pomembno za politike, strategije in prednostne razvojne naloge Južne Afrike. Vendar pa je celotno učinkovitost programa mogoče izboljšati z osredotočenjem na manj posegov.

2.4. Sodelovanje na drugih področjih

Južna Afrika ima z Evropo sklenjen ločen sporazum o znanosti in tehnologiji. Njeno delovanje v okvirnih programih za raziskave in tehnološki razvoj se neprestano izboljšuje in južnoafriške raziskovalne organizacije uspešno sodelujejo v več tematskih prednostnih nalogah šestega okvirnega programa. Južnoafriške raziskovalne ustanove so v veliki meri olajšale mednarodno znanstveno sodelovanje med evropskimi in afriškimi podsaharskimi raziskovalci.

Evropska skupnost in Južna Afrika sta prav tako podpisali ločena sporazuma o trgovini z vinom in žganimi pijačami.

Druga področja – večinoma omejena in začasna – na katerih se je razvilo sodelovanje z Evropo, vključujejo sanitarne in fitosanitarne ukrepe in varnost živil, carine, vino in žgane pijače itd. Na področju informacijske družbe poteka dialog za prepoznavanje področij sodelovanja na ravni politike in zakonodaje.

Na področju izobraževanja južnoafriške univerze sodelujejo v več mednarodnih partnerstvih, ki so financirana po programu Erasmus Mundus. Majhno število južnoafriških študentov je prejelo štipendije za magistrski študij v Evropi. Prav tako so bile podeljene štipendije za znanstveno delo v okviru „aktivnosti Marie Curie“ iz šestega okvirnega programa za raziskave.

3. Strateškemu partnerstvu EU - Južna Afrika naproti

Ob srečanju v Skupnem svetu za sodelovanje so Južna Afrika, Evropska komisija in države članice ugotovile, da nedavne spremembe v odnosih med EU in Južno Afriko zahtevajo skladnejši strateški okvir. Na sestanku 23. novembra 2004 so sprejele „Skupne sklepe“, v novembru 2005 pa „Skupno poročilo“ in se dogovorile „da so potrebni novi koraki za zagotovitev, da se odnosi med Južno Afriko in EU razvijejo v pravo strateško partnerstvo, ki (…) bo ustrezno upoštevalo vlogo Južne Afrike kot dejavnika stabilnosti na celini in ključnega igralca na mednarodnem prizorišču“.

Predlagano strateško partnerstvo si prizadeva izpeljati ta proces

- z združitvijo držav članic, Skupnosti in Južne Afrike v enotnem in skladnem okviru z jasno in skupaj določenimi cilji, ki bodo obsegali vsa področja sodelovanja in povezali vse zainteresirane strani;

- s premikom od političnega dialoga k strateškemu političnemu sodelovanju in skupnim ciljem o regionalnih, afriških in svetovnih vprašanjih;

- z izboljšanjem sedanjega sodelovanja, razvojem močnega in trajnostnega gospodarskega sodelovanja, ob polnem izpolnjevanju določb STRS o področjih, povezanih s trgovino, ter s širitvijo sodelovanja na družbeno, kulturno in okoljsko področje.

Poleg tega mora strateško partnerstvo graditi na „paketu razvojnih ciljev novega tisočletja“, „evropskem soglasju o razvoju“ in „strategiji EU za Afriko“ tako, da v jedro političnega dialoga postavi napredek v smeri doseganja razvojnih ciljev novega tisočletja, skupaj z vprašanji upravljanja ter miru in varnosti tako na domači kot na mednarodni ravni.

3.1. Dvostranski odnosi – nov strateški pristop k sodelovanju

3.1.1. Politično sodelovanje

Najpomembnejši element predlaganega strateškega partnerstva je premik od zgolj političnega dialoga k aktivnemu političnemu sodelovanju. Partnerstvo med Južno Afriko in EU mora postati kraj srečevanja, namenjen graditvi mostov med dvema predstavnicama severa in juga, ki si prizadevata doseči soglasje. Njegov glavni namen mora biti pogodbenicama omogočiti aktivno iskanje skupne podlage pri vprašanjih vzajemnega interesa, podpirati politični agendi obeh pogodbenic in izvajati skupne politične ukrepe na regionalni, afriški in svetovni ravni.

Kot je navedeno v členu 4 STRS mora politični dialog obsegati vse vidike partnerstva: domača, regionalna, celinska in mednarodna vprašanja. Enako mora veljati za aktivno politično sodelovanje, ki je torej element, ki povezuje vse ravni sodelovanja: dvostransko, regionalno, celinsko in globalno.

3.1.2. Spodbujanje trgovine

Trgovinski odnosi se lahko razvijajo ne zgolj s preučitvijo nadaljnje vzajemne liberalizacije blagovne menjave in oblikovanjem večjih trgov, temveč tudi z vključevanjem trgovine s storitvami in obveznostmi STO-plus na številnih novih regulativnih področjih.

Sporazum o prosti trgovini, predviden v STRS, je treba razviti tako, da bo vključeval harmonizacijo trgovinskega režima in nove obveznosti o zadevah, kot so storitve, vladna naročila in investicije.

Obe strani si morata prav tako prizadevati za razvoj sodelovanja na številnih s trgovino povezanih področjih, tako za domačo uporabo, kot tudi s stališča pospeševanja izvoza: sodelovanje na področju carin, pravila o poreklu, boj proti goljufijam in nepravilnostim v carinskih in z njimi povezanih zadevah, konkurenčna politika, pravice intelektualne lastnine, varstvo potrošnikov, varnost živil, sanitarni in fitosanitarni ukrepi, tehnične ovire pri trgovanju ter standardi in norme. Zračni promet igra pomembno vlogo v gospodarskem razvoju, regionalni integraciji in pospeševanju trgovine. EU in Južna Afrika morata razviti dober pravni okvir za nadaljnji razvoj zračnih storitev in tehničnega sodelovanja v tem sektorju.

In končno, nekatere trgovinske določbe – npr. o zaščitnih ukrepih in reševanju sporov – bo verjetno treba pregledati v luči prihodnjih odnosov med STRS in procesom južnoafriškega sporazuma o gospodarskem partnerstvu.

3.1.3. Inovativnemu gospodarskemu, družbenemu in okoljskemu partnerstvu naproti

Določbe STRS o gospodarskem in drugem sodelovanju odpirajo široko področje potencialno plodnega sodelovanja, ki bi koristilo obema stranema. Eno od posebnih področij, na katerem bi lahko bilo to sodelovanje zelo koristno za Južno Afriko in bi dopolnjevalo razvojno sodelovanje, je regionalna politika in socialna kohezija. Južna Afrika je pokazala globoko zanimanje za evropske izkušnje pri izvajanju regionalne politike in delovanju strukturnih skladov. Meni, da bi te politike lahko bile model južnoafriškim prizadevanjem za odpravo velikih družbenih in gospodarskih razlik med provincami in regijami države. EU je pripravljena deliti svoje izkušnje na področju regionalne politike in socialne kohezije, da bi tako pomagala pri reševanju problema južnoafriških neskladij in razlik.

Zaradi gospodarske pomembnosti Južne Afrike v regiji in v mednarodnem merilu bo prav tako pomembno razviti okrepljeno izmenjavo o gospodarskem sodelovanju, vključno z rednim gospodarskim dialogom in izmenjavami na področju makroekonomije in financ.

Glede sodelovanja v znanosti in tehnologiji obstajajo možnosti za okrepitev sodelovanja med EU in Južno Afriko v okviru obstoječih sporazumov. Poleg tega je treba usmeriti vse moči v pospeševanje praktične in industrijske uporabe znanstvenih izmenjav, da se zagotovi takojšen učinek na gospodarsko rast in zaposlovanje.

Začasen seznam obetavnih novih področij sodelovanja je v Prilogi 1 in ga je treba še dodelati.

3.1.4. Razvojno sodelovanje – nova državna strategija za obdobje 2007–2013

Južna Afrika je država s srednjimi prihodki, ki si velik del proračunskih virov ustvari sama in evropska razvojna pomoč, čeprav pomembna, je majhna v primerjavi s proračunom države. Vendar pa je razvojni denar zagotavljal sredstva za sektorske proračunske podporne programe, pobude o najboljši praksi, izgradnjo zmogljivosti in mednarodno odprtost. Poleg tega, kot je navedeno v evropskem soglasju o razvojni politiki, „se številne države z nižjim srednjim prihodkom (…) soočajo s presenetljivo neenakostjo in šibko upravo, kar grozi vzdržnosti njihovega razvojnega procesa. Številne države s srednjim prihodkom imajo pomembno vlogo pri političnih, varnostnih in trgovinskih vprašanjih, proizvodnji in zaščiti globalnih javnih dobrin ter delujejo kot regionalni dejavniki stabilnosti.“

Program razvojnega sodelovanja za obdobje 2007–2013 mora to upoštevati, proučiti južnoafriške potrebe po uradni razvojni pomoči in se osredotočiti na dodano vrednost evropskega prispevka. Zagotavljati mora varovanje naravnih virov in biti okoljsko trajnosten. Povsem mora slediti južnoafriškim gospodarskim in družbenim politikam in ustrezati njihovim prednostnim nalogam, zlasti z reševanjem ozkih grl pri zagotavljanju storitev socialnega skrbstva ter ob upoštevanju „razvojne“, bolj intervencijske gospodarske politike južnoafriške vlade, ki je osredotočena na gospodarsko rast, zaposlovanje in odpravo velikih razlik in neenakosti pri dohodkih.

3.2. Južna Afrika kot regionalni dejavnik stabilnosti

S skoraj 75 odstotki celotnega BDP regije SADC je Južna Afrika politično, gospodarsko, finančno, zaposlitveno in trgovsko središče regije. Vloga, za katero se bo odločila, bo ključnega pomena za izvajanje regionalnega okvirnega strateškega razvojnega načrta SADC in tudi za regionalno integracijo južne Afrike. SADC ostaja gonilna sila regionalnega političnega sodelovanja in „naravno“ zavezništvo v regiji, Južnoafriška carinska unija pa igra pomembno vlogo pri trgovini.

Strategija EU za Afriko regionalne gospodarske skupnosti obravnava kot temeljne gradbene elemente odnosov med EU in Afriko. V primeru južnoafriške regije morata EU in Južna Afrika, kot strateški partnerici, začeti bolj intenziven in vsebinski dialog ter politično sodelovanje o zapletenem regionalnem okviru in njegovih političnih izzivih. Jasneje morata opredeliti svoji vlogi v regiji in pri tem upoštevati vzpon novih gospodarskih sil.

Pomembna razsežnost sodelovanja na regionalni ravni je varnost in ohranjanje miru. Južna Afrika in EU morata sodelovati s SADC z namenom, da bi spodbudili razvoj Strateškega okvirnega načrta organa za politično, obrambno in varnostno sodelovanje, sistema za zgodnje opozarjanje in mirovnih zmogljivosti SADC.

Pogajanja o sporazumu o gospodarskem partnerstvu med ES in SADC bodo morala obravnavati vprašanja, ki jih postavlja soobstoj STRS in prihodnjega sporazuma o gospodarskem partnerstvu, ob čemer je treba upoštevati, da so cilji sporazuma o gospodarskem partnerstvu razvoj predvidljivejšega in na pravilih temelječega regionalnega trga blaga in storitev, da se pospeši regionalna integracija, uskladijo pravila trgovanja v regiji in z ES ter da se oblikuje preprost okvir trgovanja med državami južne Afrike in ES. Zaradi tega bodo morebiti potrebne nadaljnje prilagoditve STRS.

3.3. Južna Afrika kot ključni igralec na celini

Južna Afrika je ključni igralec na celinskem prizorišču. Je ena od gonilnih sil Afriške unije in NEPAD. S svojo zavezanostjo mehanizmu afriškega vzajemnega pregledovanja spodbuja dobro javno upravljanje na celini. Država je prav tako presenetljiv primer prehoda iz nepravičnega političnega režima v odprto, demokratično družbo, ki spodbuja strpnost in spravo. Je tudi vedno bolj pomembna vlagateljica v Afriki, tako v finančnem pogledu kot tudi v pogledu prenosa znanj in najboljših praks. In končno, Južna Afrika je dejavna pri preprečevanju sporov, posredništvu in reševanju sporov v številnih afriških državah in na tem področju močno podpira Afriško unijo.

Politično in diplomatsko sodelovanje pri afriških vprašanjih mora postati področje večje povezanosti med Južno Afriko in EU. Sodelovanje ne sme biti omejeno na financiranje Afriške unije in mirovnih operacij, temveč mora postati element okrepljenega partnerstva. EU mora z Južno Afriko poiskati načine, kako opredeliti skupno afriško agendo in podpirati cilje obeh na celini.

Takšna povezanost ne zmanjšuje pomena obstoječih odnosov EU z drugimi afriškimi državami, niti ne vpliva na sodelovanje z Afriško unijo in regionalnimi gospodarskimi skupnostmi. Nasprotno, namenjena je prenosu strategije za Afriko navzdol na nacionalno raven, da bi tako druge države pritegnili v tesnejše sodelovanje z EU.

3.4. Mednarodno sodelovanje o globalnih vprašanjih

Južna Afrika ima poseben položaj na mednarodnem prizorišču. V številnih primerih nastopa v imenu hitro razvijajočih se držav in držav v razvoju. Njen ugled na mednarodnih forumih je izjemen in presega njen gospodarski vpliv. Čeprav Južna Afrika in EU nimata vedno enakih stališč o mednarodnih vprašanjih, pa se o številnih strinjata. Enako kot Evropa si tudi Južna Afrika prizadeva za preprečevanje širjenja orožij za množično uničevanje, priznavanje pristojnosti Mednarodnega kazenskega sodišča, odpravo smrtne kazni in boj proti terorizmu. Obe delita trdno vero v večstranski sistem kolektivne varnosti v okviru Organizacije združenih narodov ter v primarno pristojnost Varnostnega sveta OZN za ohranjanje mednarodnega miru in varnosti. Obe tudi delita močno zavezanost spoprijeti se z vzroki in učinki podnebnih sprememb in sta potrdili svojo pripravljenost na poglobitev dialoga o teh in drugih okoljskih vprašanjih.

Ta vprašanja so na dnevnem redu političnih pogovorov med EU in Južno Afriko, vendar pa morajo pripeljati tudi do konkretnih ukrepov. EU mora poiskati skupna stališča in si prizadevati za učinkovito sodelovanje z Južno Afriko na vseh teh področjih ter braniti skupne interese na mednarodni ravni.

Podobno si mora EU prizadevati za začetek medsebojno koristnega sodelovanja o okolju, varnosti oskrbe z energijo in trajnostni rabi energetskih virov, migracijah, boju proti mednarodni trgovini z mamili, pranju denarja, davčnih prevarah in izogibanju plačevanja davkov, korupciji, pomorski in letalski varnosti, trgovini z ljudmi, zlasti z otroci, pehotni oborožitvi in o organiziranem kriminalu.

In končno, obe partnerici sta naklonjeni močnejši zastopanosti držav v razvoju in hitro razvijajočih držav v mednarodnih organizacijah. V ta namen morata pospeševati močnejše politično usklajevanje, sodelovanje v mednarodnih finančnih institucijah in mednarodnih forumih, vključno z organi OZN, ter skupno delovanje.

4. Sklepne ugotovitve

Južna Afrika in EU imata veliko skupnega kot graditeljici mostov med severom in jugom, med zahodom in vzhodom ter med civilizacijami, narodi in verstvi. Evropa verjame, da lahko to nalogo opravlja bolje v partnerstvu z Južno Afriko. Vendar pa takšnega strateškega partnerstva ni mogoče zgraditi čez noč, je namreč rezultat dinamičnega razvoja. EU je pripravljena začeti ta dinamični proces, predvsem z globokim in neomejenim političnim dialogom ter sodelovanjem z Južno Afriko na vseh ravneh.

Sedanja organiziranost političnega dialoga temelji na izmenjavah z vodjo misije EU v Pretoriji, rednih obiskih ministrov in višjih uradnikov v obeh smereh ter na letnih srečanjih Sveta za sodelovanje. Poleg tega izmenjave med Evropskim parlamentom in južnoafriškim parlamentom potekajo preko delegacije EP za Južno Afriko, Južna Afrika pa je aktivna udeleženka v Skupni parlamentarni skupščini AKP-EU. Ta institucionalna zasnova je bila ustrezna v preteklosti, vendar pa jo je v luči strateške narave partnerstva med EU in Južno Afriko treba pregledati.

Komisija poziva Svet, Evropski parlament ter Evropski ekonomsko-socialni odbor, da potrdijo glavne vidike tega sporočila. Na temelju teh širokih načel bo Komisija pripravila osnutek akcijskega načrta za izvajanje tega sporočila, ki bo konec tega leta predložen Skupnemu svetu za sodelovanje EU - Južna Afrika in bi moral pripeljati do skupne izjave partneric.

Odvisno od razprave v Svetu, Evropskem parlamentu in Ekonomsko-socialnem odboru kot tudi od južnoafriških stališč bi tak akcijski načrt moral biti osredotočen na:

- krepitev političnega dialoga, ki bo vodila do skupnih političnih stališč in skupnih ukrepov,

- aktivno skupno vključenost v regionalna in globalna vprašanja,

- izvajanje skupno zasnovane državne strategije, ki bo v skladu s tem sporočilom,

- revizijo in polno izvajanje STRS v skladu z zgornjimi prednostnimi nalogami.

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] Ocenjuje se, da bo zaradi HIV/AIDS do leta 2010 osirotelo okoli 1,5 milijona otrok.

[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.