Communication from the Commission to the Council - The EU-Africa dialogue
Date: 2003-06-23
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Africa, European Union, North-South relations, cooperation policy

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 23.6.2003
COM(2003) 316 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL

The EU-Africa dialogue

   
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL

The EU-Africa dialogue

Introduction

Three years after Cairo, the Second EU-Africa Summit was to take place in Lisbon on 5 April
2003,  under  the  co-chairmanship  of  Greece  and  South  Africa.  The  proposal  made  by  the
European Union earlier this year to postpone the Lisbon Summit does not put an end to the
EU-Africa dialogue. On the contrary, the EU presidency has informed the Presidency of the
African  Union  of  the  EU's  intention  to  “pursue  discussions  with  its  African  counterparts  in
order to ensure the holding of the Summit at the earliest possible date”.

Despite  the  persisting  uncertainty  concerning  the  date  of  a  possible  resumption  of  the  EU-
Africa  dialogue  at  summit  level,  this  Communication  intends  to  contribute  to  continuing
discussions and cooperation between the EU and Africa, with a view to paving the way for a
resumption of high level political dialogue meetings.  At the same time, this Communication
should allow for a substantive discussion on the likely prospects, most promising avenues and
future  modalities  of  EU-Africa  dialogue  and  cooperation,  with  a  view  to  establishing  an
operational EU-Africa Agenda.  After recalling the long-standing context of partnership that
exists  between  the  EU  and  Africa,  the  Communication  looks  briefly  at  the  objectives  and
focus of the EU-Africa dialogue to date and discusses the new context created since the Cairo
Summit by the launching of NEPAD and the African Union (Sections 1 and 2).

Section 3 reviews the state of the dialogue between the  EU  and  Africa  on  each of the  eight
priority  themes,  highlighting  the  main  issues  that  have  come  up  for  discussion  and  the
positions that the Union could take.

The  final  section  attempts  to  outline  objectives  and  orientations  for  future  dialogue  with
Africa,  in  the  light  of  the  discussions  that  have  already  taken  place  within  the  Council  and
during the last EU-Africa Ministerial Conference held in Ouagadougou in November 2002.

Section 0. The EU and Africa: a long-standing partnership and a new challenge

Dialogue and cooperation between the EU and Africa go back to the very beginnings of the
EU.  The  EU  has  concluded  association  agreements  with  practically  all  African  countries,
which are based on three main pillars: political dialogue, trade and development cooperation.

The  dialogue  at  continental  level  between  Europe  and  Africa  should  complement  and  add
value to the frameworks for dialogue and cooperation that already exist between the EU and
African States at country and regional levels, which take place first and foremost within the
context  of  the  Cotonou  Agreement  and  the  Barcelona  process.  In  the  case  of  the  North
African countries, the new concept of ‘Wider Europe’ is gaining in significance.1

In spite of globalisation trends that have diversified Africa’s economic relations, the intensity
of EU relations with Africa remain strong in many areas: 41% of EU development assistance

1

The Communication ‘Wider Europe – Neighborhood: A new framework for relations with our Eastern
and Southern neighbors’ was issued on 11/03/2003. (COM(2003-104))

2

                                                
goes  to  Africa,  and  45%  of  Africa’s  foreign  trade  is  with  the  EU,  accounting  for  €144bn  a
year in 2000, or 5 times more than intra-African trade (€29bn a year).

Only  in  the  late  1990s  and  with  the  first  EU/Africa  Summit  in  2000  did  this  partnership
acquire  a  full  continental  dimension.  This  EU-Africa  Summit,  held  in  Cairo  in  April  2000,
saw  the  participation  of  every  single  African  country  together  with  all  EU  Member  States.
Since then, the launching of NEPAD in 2001 and the establishment of the African Union in
2002 have drawn attention to the pan-African level of initiative and increased the capacity of
Africa to interact as a group. This renewed pan-African momentum enables Africa to play a
more  substantive  role  on  the  international  scene,  as  illustrated  last  year  at  the  WSSD  in
Johannesburg.

By deciding to deepen its own integration, Africa opened itself to broader partnerships with
the  rest  of  the  world.  The  EU  and  Africa  can  therefore  base  their  partnership  on  shared
objectives  and  common  values  that  can  be  found  in  the  Treaty  of  the  European  Union,  the
Cotonou  Agreement  and  the  Barcelona  process,  as  well  as  in  the  Constitutive  Act  of  the
African Union and in the NEPAD manifesto.

In preparing the second EU-Africa Summit, which will be held in Lisbon, and in the light of
the  forthcoming  enlargement  of  the  Union,  both  sides  have  expressed  their  intention  to
reassess their dialogue and to strengthen their partnership at continental level.

Section 1. The EU-Africa Dialogue

1a. Objectives and focus of the EU-Africa dialogue

Despite a number of success stories, like democratic transition and economic achievements in
some countries, Africa’s increasing poverty, its daunting health and education problems, and
its growing list of crises, conflicts and stories of failed states call for innovative strategies to
help the continent meet these formidable challenges.

The dialogue should help to:

–  strengthen  political,  economic  and  socio-cultural  EU-Africa  relations,  in  line  with  EU

external policy, paying particular attention to the new Pan-African context;

–  eradicate  poverty  and  attain  the  Millennium  Development  Goals  in  Africa,  as  well  as
implementing commitments recently made in international conferences (Doha, Monterrey
and WSSD).

–  promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Africa, given that these“essential

elements” of EU external policy are also the central values of the AU and NEPAD;

To meet these objectives, this interaction with Africa should entail a comprehensive political
dialogue  with  the  newly  set  up  pan-African  Structures.  The  dialogue  should  address  issues
such as peace and security, governance, sustainable development, democracy, rule of law, and
human  rights  in  a  comprehensive  way.  In  this  context,  given  the  level  of  instability  that
characterises  most  African  regions,  preventing  conflicts  and  peace  building  is  an  absolute
prerequisite for development, and must be a top priority for political dialogue with Africa at
the highest level.

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(cid:1)  The EU-Africa dialogue  should  focus on political and global issues  of  common  interest
and  help  rebuild  functional  governmental  structures  and  contribute  to  the  emergence  of
viable regional structures which would foster structural stability of African societies.

(cid:1)  The dialogue should also take into account the political dimension of development issues
on  a  continental  basis.  This  comprises  questions  of  regional  integration  and  trade,  debt,
health and food security. For the African side, it is essential that these questions remain on
the agenda of the political dialogue with the EU, even if practical EU support is discussed
and implemented in various existing and mandated frameworks.

1b. The AU and NEPAD: a statement of African Ownership

(cid:1)  The  transformation  of  the  OAU  into  the  African  Union  in  July  2002  provides  a  new
institutional framework that should facilitate Africa's dialogue with the rest of the world. It
also calls for stronger  and  better  governance  throughout  Africa  and  at  pan-African  level.
The  Constitutive  Act  of  the  African  Union  enshrines  the  principles  of  human  rights,
democracy and governance. Through the launching of the AU, African leaders are placing
greater emphasis on continental issues and pan-African integration. The EU, which has so
far  developed  its  cooperation  with  Africa  mostly  at  national  and  regional  levels,  should
respond to this pan-African ambition as appropriate.

(cid:1)  The launch of NEPAD in October 2001 was a major step and a clear statement of African
ownership.  With  NEPAD,  African  leaders  spell  out  the  values  and  objectives  around
which Africa intends to organise the renaissance of the continent. NEPAD core values are
very similar to the “essential elements” of the EU external relations policy that are central
to  all  EU-Africa  agreements.  NEPAD  sectoral  and  thematic  priorities  are  practically  the
same  as  in  the  Cairo  Plan  of  Action  and  tie  in  with  the  recently  established  country  and
regional  cooperation  strategies  under  the  Cotonou  Agreement.  The  EU  thus  finds  itself
naturally  equipped  to  support  the  implementation  of  NEPAD  by  African  countries  and
regions

(cid:1)  The African Union and NEPAD are closely interrelated. While they originate in separate
initiatives,  much  effort  has  been  made  by  African  leaders  to  make  them  dovetail  and
eventually  converge.  Since  the  Durban  summit  in  July  2002,  NEPAD  finds  itself
subsumed  within  the  AU  framework.  The  AU  (the  institutional  framework  for  Africa’s
integration) and NEPAD (the socio-economic programme of the African Union) can only
be  supported  together.  Together,  the  African  Union  and  NEPAD  create  a  new  basis  for
EU-Africa relations, and call for a strengthened dialogue between the EU and Africa as a
whole.

(cid:1)  In view of its own integration experience, the EU is seen as a reference by those who are
building the African Union. The AU is keen to better understand and learn from European
integration  and  Europe's  methods  and  institutions  in  order  to  build  its  own  pan-African
project.

(cid:1)  Together,  the  creation  of  the  AU,  equipped  with  a  sharper  mandate,  operational
programmes and innovative institutional arrangements, and the launching of NEPAD will
establish  a  new  pan-African  level  of  governance.  This  pan-African  level,  which  will
address  key  issues  for  the  sustainable  development  of  Africa,  now  offers  a  more
appropriate and structured framework for EU-Africa dialogue.

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Section 2. Treating Africa as one

The  Commission  acknowledges  that  the  existence  of  different  agreements  between  the  EU
and  various  parts  of  Africa  does  not  make  it  easy  for  the  Community  to  respond  to  pan-
African initiatives nor to support regional activities that take place across African regions.

To improve EU support for continental integration in Africa, the Commission is prepared to
consider  practical  measures  that  would  build  bridges  between  the  different  agreements  that
already exist between EU and Africa (Cotonou, Euro-MED agreements and the TDCA  with
South  Africa).  This  could  apply  to  the  area  of  trade,  to  procurement  rules  for  EU-funded
projects, and to the programming of aid.

(cid:1)  In order to facilitate and encourage intra-African trade, the Community should carefully
analyse the impact of all trade-related instruments that are already in place or that are being
envisaged  under  its  agreements.  This  applies  in  particular  to  the  ongoing  reviews  of  the
Euro-Med agreements with the North African countries, and to the Economic Partnership
Agreements  that  will  constitute  the  Cotonou  trade  régime  with  the  ACP.  This  analysis
should  allow  to  identify  any  additional  instruments  or  mechanisms  that  could  further
favour pan-African trade.

(cid:1)  Similarly,  the  procurement  rules  applicable  to  the  EDF  and  to  various  budget  lines
(notably MEDA and the EPRD) generally limit the eligibility to suppliers from countries
covered  by  the  same  instrument.  As  a  result,  North  African  countries  are  not  eligible  to
tender for EDF contracts, and vice-versa. When the relevant legal bases are renewed, the
Community  should  be  prepared  to  reform  its  eligibility  criteria  under  EDF  and  MEDA
regulations  (as  well  as  the  EPRD),  so  as  to  allow  for  reciprocal  tendering  rights,  as  has
already been achieved between the EDF and the EPRD. Broadening eligibility to the whole
continent  would  contribute  to  the  overall  objective  of  aid  untying  in  line  with  the  recent
Commission Communication (“"Untying: Enhancing the Effectiveness of Aid").

(cid:1)  EU  support  for  pan-African  initiatives  is  currently  assessed  on  a  case-by-case  basis,  and
the  ability  of  the  EU  to  respond  is  constrained  by  the  need  to  call  on  different  financial
instruments.  If  pan-African  activities  are  to  develop  in  the  future,  the  Commission
proposes  that  the  Community  would  be  prepared  to  set  them  in  a  coherent  framework.
Consideration  should  therefore  be  given  to  how  EU  aid  may  be  pooled  in  support  of  an
operational  EU-Africa  Agenda,  subject  to  the  agreement  of  the  countries  and  regions
concerned. If such pooling can be achieved, one of the first applications could be to help
establish  a  continent-wide  Facility  for  peace  support  operations  that  could  help  stabilise
those  areas  in  Africa  that  are  hindered  in  their  development  by  recent  or  long-standing
conflicts.

Beyond these three specific proposals, the Commission is convinced that the broader efforts
that  have  been  undertaken  to  increase  aid  effectiveness  in  Africa  will  make  it  simpler  and
easier to address pan-African and cross-cutting issues. This will also be considered as part of
the  study  on  budgetisation  of  EDF  resources,  which  will  be  presented  in  a  separate
Commission  Communication  before  the  end  of  the  year.  Meanwhile,  studies  will  be
undertaken  on  the  possibilities  of  reviewing  the  provisions  contained  in  Annex  IV  to  the
Cotonou Agreement.

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Section 3. Results of the EU-Africa dialogue: progress on priority themes

The  “Cairo  Declaration  and  Plan  of  Action”  was  quite  ambitious  and  encompassed  all
subjects of development cooperation. In the follow-up to Cairo, the First Bi-Regional Group
of Senior Officials decided in October 2001 that the EU-Africa dialogue should be organised
around  eight  priority  themes  in  order  to  achieve  concrete  outcomes:  1.  Human  rights,
democracy and good governance; 2. Prevention and settlement of conflicts; 3. Food security;
4.HIV/AIDS  and  other  pandemics;  5.  Environment;  6.  Regional  integration  and  trade;  7.
External  debt;  8.  Return  of  Illicitly  Exported  Cultural  Goods.  Since  Cairo,  two  ministerial
conferences have been held:

(cid:1)  At  the  1st  Ministerial  Conference  (Brussels,  October  2001)  a  reasonable  measure  of
agreement  was  found  on  six  of  the  eight  priority  topics,  but  further  work  needed  to  be
accomplished on debt and on the return of stolen cultural goods. The Brussels ministerial
conference  also  adopted  a  Joint  Declaration  on  terrorism  and  declared  its  support  for
NEPAD, following an EU initiative to host a special meeting with African leaders.

(cid:1)  The  2nd  Ministerial  Conference  (Ouagadougou,  Nov  2002)  adopted  (i)  a  communiqué
confirming  substantive  progress  in  the  preparation  of  the  summit,  and  (ii)  a  further
declaration  on  the  common  fight  against  terrorism.  It  dealt  with  issues  of  peace  and
security, governance, cultural goods and a plan of action on human trafficking. Follow-up
actions were outlined on trade and regional integration, environment, food security and the
Global Health Fund.

(cid:1)  A  discussion  on  the  future  of  the  dialogue  was  launched  in  Ouagadougou.  Both  sides
expressed the need to improve the format, focus and procedures of the bi-regional dialogue
and to make it more interactive, without at the same time making it too cumbersome. The
Cairo process was seen as a unique framework bringing together the whole of Africa and
the EU. It was agreed that proposals should be prepared in this regard for consideration in
Lisbon (see section 4).

Section 3. Area A. Human Rights, Democracy and Good Governance

Dialogue  on  the  theme  of  Human  Rights,  Democracy  and  Good  Governance  has  been
conducted around three  main  topics:  human  trafficking,  support  for  African  institutions  and
the  fight  against  corruption,  including  investigation  and  return  of  illegally  acquired  public
monies.

On the first topic, trafficking in human beings, especially women and children, a step forward
was  made  with  the  drafting  of  a  Plan  of  Action.  The  Plan  of  Action  contains  general
principles as well as proposals for concrete measures to be taken in the field of prevention and
legislative  framework,  policy
awareness  raising,  victim  protection  and  assistance, 
development and law enforcement and cooperation and coordination on the ground. The Plan
of Action should be adopted  at the Summit in Lisbon, if a solution to  universal  jurisdiction
can be found. Actions developed within the Action Plan should, as far as possible, be made
known  to  law  enforcement  stakeholders,  so  as  also  to  be  reflected  in  activities  supported
through existing EU funding programmes in the area of Justice and Home Affairs.

On  the  second  topic,  support  for  African  institutions,  a  preliminary  Programme  on
democracy,  governance  and  human  rights  for  the  period  2002-2003  has  recently  been
presented to the European side. This programme, which will soon be adopted as a follow-up
to the AU Summit in Durban, aims first of all to implement the various commitments made

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by  the  AU  Member  States  in  a  number  of  legal  and  policy  documents,  such  as  the
Constitutive  Act  of  the  AU  or  the  AU  Declaration  on  the  Principles  governing  Democratic
Elections in Africa. The second aim of the programme is to provide support to strengthen the
institutions  dealing  with  democracy,  governance  and  human  rights,  such  as  the  African
Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and  the establishment of  the African Court on
Human  and  Peoples’  Rights,  to  help  them  meet  their  responsibilities  more  effectively.
Strengthening  these institutions is all the more important  as  they  are  called  upon  to  assume
greater  responsibility  within  the  framework  of  the  African  Peer  Review  Mechanism.  At  the
Ouagadougou  Ministerial  Conference,  the  programme  received  support  from  the  European
side and the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) has provided for
the  possibility  of  supporting  some  of  these  activities  in  the  EIDHR  Programming  Update
2003. The Commission is currently working on the details of possible support.

The  third  topic,  the  fight  against  corruption,  investigation  and  return  of  illegally  acquired
public monies lodged in foreign banks, is part of the broader theme of economic governance.
On this issue, considerable efforts have been made by the Africans since the Cairo Summit to
establish a legal and policy framework with the adoption by the African Union of the NEPAD
Declaration  on  Democracy,  Political,  Economic  and  Corporate  Governance  and  the  solemn
declaration of the Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Cooperation in Africa
(CSSDCA).  The  AU  Convention  against  Corruption,  which  has  been  recently  adopted,  and
the Algiers Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism containing provisions
on the financial aspects of terrorism, provide more specific legal measures. At the same time,
a  number  of  initiatives  are  under  way  at  regional  level  to  set  up  and  develop  regional  anti-
money laundering initiatives linked to the work of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Finally,  at  global multilateral level,  further progress is  also expected  through  the  future  UN
Convention against corruption (signing conference scheduled for December 2003), which will
adopt  a  comprehensive  and  multidisciplinary  approach  by  balancing  the  need  for  the
establishment  of  a  functional  mechanism  for  the  recovery  of  assets  with  the  need  for
institutionalisation  of  effective  preventive  measures.  At  the  Ouagadougou  Ministerial
Conference, the African side expressed its “readiness to deal with corruption” and called on
the EU side “to cooperate on the implementation of ....African decisions” and “to engage in
concrete  cooperation  action  in  this  field  and  propose  specific  actions”.2In  view  of  this  new
framework,  the  issue  of  illegally  acquired  money,  estimated  to  equal  more  than  half  of
Africa’s external debt and lodged in essentially foreign banks, is therefore an integral part of
the progress to  be  achieved in the  field  of  economic  governance  and  mutual  accountability.
The  Bi-Regional  Group  should  therefore  take  concrete  steps  to  increase  cooperation  in  this
field. The European Commission is determined to assist African countries in their continued
efforts  to  curb  and  to  prevent  corruption  through  technical  advice  on  the  basis  of  general
principles  as  being  part  of  a  forthcoming  Communciation  on  a  comprehensive  EU  policy
against corruption.

Also,  in  the  light  of  the  policy  framework  set  out  in  Ouagadougou,  and  in  the  interests  of
promoting  good  governance,  the  EU  is  preparing  a  series  of  measures  to  address  illegal
logging. Illegal logging has in some countries grown to become such a serious problem that it
undermines the rule of law and principles of good governance, and thus jeopardises the wider
objectives  that  we  hope  to  achieve  through  our  overseas  trade  relations  and  development
cooperation programmes. To support African efforts to combat illegal logging, the European
Commission is providing substantial support to the Africa Ministerial Process for Forest Law
Enforcement  and  Governance.  This  initiative  is  designed  to  build  a  strong  political

2

Agreed Minutes of the Bi-Regional Group (Ouagadougou, 25-26 November 2002)

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commitment to address the underlying  causes  of  illegal  logging  in  Africa,  and  to  develop  a
remedial  programme  of  action.  The  European  Commission  is  also  currently  developing  a
complementary Action Plan for Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade, which will
outline  a  package  of  measures  designed  to  restrict  the  import  of  illegal  wood  and  wood
products into the European Union. The EU looks forward to fruitful cooperation with Africa
on this matter.

The  EU  is  also  committed  to  deepening  co-operation  with  Africa  in  the  area  of  human
resource development, especially universal primary education for both boys and girls, which
is  an  essential  element  of  the  promotion  of  good  governance.  As  outlined  in  the  recent
Communication on “Education and training in the context of poverty reduction in developing
countries”,  ‘the  provision  of  education  of  literacy  and  basic  skills  for  all  has  a  significant
positive  impact  on  health,  social  and  political  participation,  equal  opportunities,  economic
growth  rates,  income,  productivity…[Education]….has  positive  effects  in  terms  of  good
governance.’ (Sections I.I and II.I) The proposed ERASMUS MUNDUS programme has been
designed to include participation by students, scholars and higher education institutions from
EU partner countries including the AU".

The  Commission’s  Communication  on  integrating  migration  issues  into  the  EU’s  relations
with  third  countries  offers  scope  for  the  launch  of  an  EU-Africa  dialogue  on  the  topic  of
migration which is an integral part of existing contractual frameworks with African countries
and sub-regions.3 Among the subjects that could be discussed with priority are the facilitation
of efforts of migrants residing in the EU who intend to contribute to the economic and social
development of their country of origin, facilitation of sustainable return of migrants to support
local  development,  the  consequences  from  recruiting  highly  skilled  labour  from  African
countries by industrialised countries and the efficient utilisation of remittances in the macro-
economic development of countries of origin.”

Section 3. Area B. Prevention and Settlement of conflicts

This has been an area of consensus building between Europeans and Africans over the course
of  the  two  last  years.  The  landmark  AU  decision  in  July  2002  to  set  up  a  Continent-wide
Peace  and  Security  Council  and  the  adoption  of  a  work  programme  on  peace  and  security
(October  2002)  by  all  AU  Member  States  underscored  the  priority  focus  put  by  the  AU  on
addressing  conflicts.  This  programme  aims  to  increase  cooperation  with  regional  African
organisations  (ECOWAS,  SADC,  IGAD,  etc.),  which  can  also  play  their  part  in  the
implementation of conflict prevention activities and peace support operations agreed upon or
endorsed by the AU Peace and Security Council. The adoption by the EU in May 2001 of its
common position on conflict prevention in Africa underscored the EU's resolve to enhance its
political partnership with the AU and to move its various instruments more towards the area
of conflict prevention and peace building.

Labelled  (in  Ouagadougou)  as  a  “model  case”  for  enhanced  Europe-Africa  cooperation,
identified areas for dialogue and cooperation range from enhanced dialogue (for instance, the
AU Commissioner for Peace and Security has held regular meetings with the Council and the
Commission over the last 15 months), the establishment of an inventory of institutions and the
strengthening of African capacities in the area of early warning and preventive diplomacy (to

3

Similarly, the recent EC Communication on ICTs (Information and Communications Technologies) and
Development  offers  a  tool  with  which  to  flag  the  cross-cutting  impact  of  ICTS  on  most  aspects  of
development,  and  notably  in  the  area  of  good  governance,  as  noted  by  African  leaders,  who  have
identified the development of the ICT sector as one of the priority programmes of NEPAD.

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which a number of Member States  and  the  EC are  contributing at  regional  and  pan-African
levels). A number of actions geared to combating Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW)
and anti-personnel landmines (APL) are also under way.

As a first contribution  from  the  European  side  to  the  new  peace  and  security  agenda  of  the
AU, an EC programme in support of AU peace building and transition activities was signed
in  Addis  Ababa  on  2  April.This  programme’s  prime  objective  is  to  fund  the  operational
activities of the Peace and Security Council, and secondly to work on AU capacity building in
the  transition  period.  This  support  programme  is  based  on  the  AU's  indicative  work
programme  on  peace  and  security  issues  and  will  first  and  foremost  finance  AU  mediation
and peace monitoring activities. Urgency and AU resolve have already led the EC to support
and fund AU-led peace efforts through the EC Rapid Reaction Mechanism (RRM), as in the
case of Burundi (AU observation mission).

This  EC  programme  also  entails  a  dimension  of  regular,  Addis  Ababa-based  dialogue  and
coordination  between  donors  and  the  AU  Commissioner  for  peace  and  security,  which
should  be  conducted  at  expert  level  in  an  enlarged  “technical  working  group”  in  order  to
increase  the  effectiveness  of  donor  assistance  in  this  domain  and  streamline  donor’s
procedures and requirements. This process should also make it easier to identify gaps, needs
and  priorities  for  donor  support  programmes.  It  would  be  equally  appropriate  to  ensure  a
regular Addis Ababa-based exchange of views between the AU Commissioner for Peace and
Security,  the  Chair  of  the  Peace  and  Security  Council  and  Ambassadors  of  the  donor
community on AU action and upcoming priorities in the field of conflict prevention and their
relevance with regard to donor support. Similar donor coordination arrangements on African
peace  and security  matters  should  also be  established at sub-regional  level  in  the  respective
African capitals.

This  would  enable  donors,  starting  with  the  EU,  to  identify  and  mobilise  a  more  sizeable
support  package  for  the  new  AU  peace  and  security  mechanisms.The  AU  tentatively
estimated the costs at around  USD 100 Million for  a  3-year period.  It  would be appropriate
for Member States to consider sizeable contributions in this context. As regards the types of
donor  support  to  be  envisaged,  they  could  encompass  the  full  spectrum  of  either  capacity
building or operational support for conflict prevention and resolution activities, ranging from
early  warning  systems  and  mediation  activities  through  to  Peace  Keeping  (PK)  training,
the  deployment  of  African  peacekeepers.The
logistical  and  financial  support  for 
aforementioned facility  for  peace  support  operations  (see  Section  2  -  page  5)  should  enable
African  partners  to  cover  the  costs  of  both  peace  support  operations  in  Africa  and  African
capacity building efforts in this domain.  In order  to  enhance the means  available  to support
African  peace  support  operations,  it  would  be  appropriate  to  build  consensus  within  the
OECD  Development  Assistance  Committee  (DAC)  so  as  to  widen  the  range  of  assistance
considered  eligible  as  official  Overseas  Development  Assistance  (ODA)  to  encompass
assistance in support of African capacities to undertake peace support operations and related
activities.

Access  to  natural  resources,  and  the  risk  of  water,  soil  and  air  pollution  can  be  a  cause  of
conflict  because  of  the  transboundary  nature  of  environment  and  natural  resources.  For
example, water scarcity can be a source of conflict.

The  (mis)management  of  natural  resources  must  therefore  be  considered  in  the  context  of
violent  conflict  in  Africa.  Natural  resources,  which  could  legitimately  be  exploited  to  raise
money  for  the  public  purse,  have  frequently  been  used  to  fund  and  prolong  armed  conflict.
Wars are  also  waged  to  gain  control  of  valuable  resources  for  the  purposes  of  private  gain,

9

enriching a small elite at the cost of death, misery and the impoverishment of millions. This
phenomenon is now acknowledged as being a major cause of conflicts in Africa. Successful
mobilisation of the international community has resulted - as regards “diamonds of war” - in
the  innovative  diamond  certification  scheme  of  the  Kimberley  Process,  which  should
significantly  reduce  world  trade  in  “blood  diamonds”.  Comparable  cases  have  now  been
documented  in  connection  with  reserves  of  timber,  diamonds,  oil,  and  many  other  valuable
resources, most recently in a resolution of the UN Security Council in January in connection
with  the  plunder  of  the  resources  of  the  Democratic  Republic  of  the  Congo  (DRC).  Many
other  countries  have  suffered  from  similar  plunder.  It  is  essential  that  the  role  of  natural
resources  in  driving  conflicts  is  acknowledged,  and  that  this  is  reflected  in  strategies  for
restoring  peace.  Measures  should  therefore  be  included  to  improve  governance  of  natural
resources within the framework of the EU-Africa dialogue on conflict prevention.

Section 3. Area C. Food Security

In  Ouagadougou,  the  EU/Africa  dialogue  adopted  a  joint  document  reflecting  a  shared
understanding of food security and the role of food aid and providing a basis for developing
common  positions  in  the  areas  of  biotechnology,  sanitary  and  phyto-sanitary  standards,
animal diseases and agricultural research. Acting on the basis of a proposal presented by the
EU, the Ministers agreed that as a first concrete step a joint team would be set up to conduct a
comprehensive  evaluation  of  existing  early  warning  systems  in  Africa.4  As  regards
biotechnology, a commitment was made to ensure the entry into force, as soon as possible, of
the Cartagena Protocol and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture, and the Ministers expressed their common will to strengthen African capacities
for the implementation of these agreements.

Within  the  context  of  the  Millennium  Development  Goals  (MDG)  and  the  World  Food
Summit target, the EU-Africa dialogue could help to increase the political will to fight against
hunger.

The future dialogue should focus more on the political dimensions of food security, tackling
such  issues  as  access  to  productive  resources  (land,  water)  and  equity.  This  also  includes
identifying  synergy  and  coherence  between  the  national,  regional  and  continental  levels.
Equally  important  is  to  review  policies  with  a  bearing  on  food  security,  such  as  fisheries,
trade  and  environment.  The  EU/Africa  dialogue  could  also  help  to  bridge  differences  and
bring  the  African  and  European  sides  closer  together  in  international  forums,  the  UN  in
particular (FAO, IFAD, WFP), where regional constellations still prevail.

The current food crisis in Southern and Horn of Africa is the occasion to further develop the
dialogue  and  to  identify  with  the  African  side  the  needs  to  be  addressed  through  long-term
development  strategies  to  eradicate  poverty,  including  access  of  the  poor  to  key  resources,
assets and services and better governance.

4

Communiqué of the Ministerial Conference (Ouagadougou, 28 November 2002)

10

                                                
Section 3. Area D – HIV/AIDS and other pandemics

Both sides have had extensive and frank discussions on the devastating impact on Africa of
HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis and on the need for urgent action.

In  October  2002,  the  Bi-Regional  Group  agreed  that  there  is  a  need  to  strengthen  health
systems in African countries within a comprehensive framework of prevention, treatment and
care and to increase health financing by the national governments (as agreed in Abuja in April
2001) and the international donor community. There was further agreement on the need for a
joint  approach  in  the  areas  of  tiered  pricing  arrangements,  technology  transfer  and  local
production towards increased  access  to  affordable  medicines.  At the  Ouagadougou  meeting,
the  African  side  welcomed  the  recent  adoption  by  the  European  Commission  of  a  draft
regulation  to  prevent  trade  diversion  of  tiered  priced  drugs.  The  commitment  from  the  AU
towards reducing/removing  taxes and tariffs which undermine these  efforts5 is essential and
an area for further discussion.

The  African  side  requests  support  in  the  field  of  information,  education  and  communication
programmes targeting the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other pandemics, and the EC continues to
prioritise prevention and improved health and education sectors to this end. The African side
is also requesting support for a network of exchange of information and data by means of new
information technologies, which was programmed under the 8th EDF intra-ACP fund and is
in the process of identification.

Discussions  focused  essentially  on  two  questions:  on  the  one  hand,  the  difficulty  of  access
and the slow disbursement of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM), and
the need for a specific health fund for Africa; and, on the other hand, the conversion of part of
Africa’s  debt  into  a  programme  for  the  fight  against  HIV/AIDS  and  poverty  reduction.
Follow-up discussions will be organised between the two Commissions on these issues.

At the Ouagadougou Ministerial meeting, the African side stressed the need for EU assistance
in the mobilisation of adequate funds for polio eradication in 45 African countries where polio
cases  still  exist.  The  EC  is  looking  into  the  possibilities  within  country  and  regional
programmes.

Section 3. Area E. Environment, including combating drought and desertification

Within the Africa-EU dialogue, this was one of the initial areas of consensus (see also above:
3B).  For  the  African  side,  in  particular,  the  fight  against  drought  and  desertification  was
considered to be very important, and a draft joint paper on environmental issues was agreed at
the  3rd  Bi-Regional  meeting  held  in  Brussels.  The  priorities  of  this  draft  paper  include
international  environmental  governance,  cooperation  in  preparing  national  strategies  for
sustainable development, poverty and environment, the transboundary and regional dimension
of environmental issues, strengthening the capacity of the African countries to negotiate and
implement  international  environmental  agreements  as  well  as  jointly  looking  for  ways  to
improve the Global Environmental Facility. Integrated water management and the prevention
of  natural  disasters  are  also  highlighted  as  priorities  for  the  dialogue.  In  October  2002  the
African Union submitted a proposal on priority environmental issues requiring consideration
in  the  context  of  the  Cairo  Plan  of  Action  and  the  outcome  of  WSSD.  At  the  Ministerial

5

A recent study carried out by DG Trade in 57 developing countries concludes that the total amount of
duties collected for AIDS/malaria/TB medicines is roughly 3 billion USD.

11

                                                
meeting  in  Ouagadougou  in  November  2002,  a  “covering  note”  to  the  joint  paper  on
environment  was  approved  which  aims  to  reconcile  the  different  elements  with  respect  to
environmental priorities.

Two issues need to be addressed more specifically in preparation of the Lisbon Summit. The
first  is  the  follow-up  to  the  Johannesburg  Summit.  In  this  context,  the  Initiatives  for  Water
and Energy need a special focus, which goes beyond the context of environment, especially as
NEPAD  also  treats  these  issues  separately.  The  second  is  the  consolidation  of  an  African
Action Plan based on an NEPAD/AU framework and taking account of the follow-up of the
WSSD.  This  Plan  should  identify  the  different  stakeholders  and  institutions  involved,
including  their  need  for  capacity  building  and  their  respective  roles  and  responsibilities.  At
the  same  time,  it  would  act  as  a  strategic  and  coherent  framework  for  donor  support.  The
Commission is looking forward to working actively with all the respective stakeholders

Through  the  Water  Initiative,  the  European  Union  confirms  its  commitment  to  helping  to
meet the Millennium Development Goals and targets agreed at WSSD.6 The initiative focuses
on halving, by the year 2015, the number of people without access to safe drinking water and
basic sanitation. The second thrust of the initiative is to support the development of integrated
water  resources  management  (IWRM)  and  water  efficiency  plans  by  2005,  promoting  the
adoption of river basin-scale policy, planning and management, particularly for transboundary
catchments. The EU believes  that  IWRM  with  strong  public  participation,  transparency  and
accountability is a key approach to reaching these targets.

The  EU  Water  Initiative  is  committed  to  providing  strategic  support  towards  this  objective,
coordinated  between  EU  Member  States,  the  EC  andthe  EIB.  Engagement  at  country  level
needs to be an early objective, involving governments, private sector and civil society.

Under the water initiative, the EU will work with its partners to:

(cid:1)  reinforce political commitment to action and raise the profile of water and sanitation with a

view to poverty reduction

(cid:1)  promote  better  water  governance  arrangements,  including  stronger  partnerships  between

public and private sectors and local stakeholders and build institutional capacity

(cid:1)  improve  coordination  and  cooperation  moving  towards  sector-wide  approaches,  and

promoting south-south collaboration and cooperation

(cid:1)  develop regional  cooperation by assisting in the application of integrated water resources

management to contribute to sustainable development and conflict prevention.

In  addition  to  better  coordination  of  water-related  activities,  the  Initiative  will  also  develop
innovative  funding  mechanisms  to  attract  additional  resources  and  partners,  as  a  basis  for
sustainable financing for water

The African component of the initiative was endorsed at the highest political level with the
signature of a joint declaration for a new Africa/EU strategic partnership on water affairs
and sanitation.

6

In this context, it is to be recalled that a Communication to the Council and the Parliament proposes the
establishment of an EU Water Fund financed by the European Development Funds.

12

                                                
Following  on  from  WSSD,  two  working  groups  have  been  established  to  address  priorities
related to the provision of water  and sanitation, and integrated water resources management
issues (IWRM). The EU's partners are working with the African Ministerial Council on Water
(AMCOW), central and local governments, civil society, private stakeholders and multilateral
agencies  in  an  attempt  to  contribute  to  the  achievement  of  water-related  Millennium
Development Goals and targets in Africa.

The ‘EU/Africa partnership on water and sanitation’ has been endorsed under the EU/Africa
Dialogue.  At  national  level,  this  means  establishing  appropriate  policies  and  developing
activities  for  the  provision  of  water  and  sanitation,  and  for  integrated  water  resources
management.  Water  management  is  also  an  issue  of  regional  integration  when  it  concerns
transboundary  river  and  lake  basins.  The  political  commitment  therefore  also  needs  to  be
reinforced at regional level.

A  Mediterranean  component  of  the  EU  Water  Initiative  is  being  prepared,  under  the
leadership of Greece.

The  EU  Energy  Initiative  for  Poverty  Eradication  and  Sustainable  Development
demonstrates  the  commitment  of  the  EU  to  supporting  those  parts  of  the  WSSD  Plan  of
Implementation  which  highlight  the  importance  of  improving  the  provision  of  adequate,
affordable,  sustainable  energy  services.  Such  improvements  in  energy  services  for  the  poor
are a necessary condition for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. For the
EU, ‘energy services’ span a broad menu of activities, including improved management and
use  of  biomass,  rural/peri-urban  electrification,  use  of  LPG  for  domestic  purposes,  etc.
NEPAD’s  focus  on  inter-connection  of  existing  networks  should  be  discussed,  where  the
benefits target bringing energy services to poor populations currently without. A key aspect of
the  Initiative  will  be  support  for  development  of  appropriate  energy  policies,  and  suitably
strong  institutions.  The  Initiative  will  seek  active  partnerships  with  stakeholders  from  the
private sector, financing organisations and civil society

Ownership  of  partner  countries  in  future  activities  of  the  Initiative  will  be  the  key  to  its
success,  with  partnerships  being  developed  at  national  and  sub-regional  levels,  including
working  with  EIB  at  country  level.  To  date,  15  of  the  22  countries  associating  themselves
with  the  Initiative  are  from  the  continent  of  Africa;  more  African  countries  are  becoming
involved as the Initiative progresses. To take forward the Initiative in Africa, the Commission
is sponsoring a high-level energy event, to be held in Nairobi, later in 2003. This will enhance
dialogue between the EU and Africa on energy, and on partner countries’ priorities for the EU
Energy  Initiative  in  particular.  Both  the  Commission  and  EU  Member  States  will  support
preparations for the event. One of the topics of discussion should be the role of AU/NEPAD
in developing strategies  for  improving  access to energy  services  on  the  continent  of  Africa,
and the expected role of the proposed Africa Energy Commission (AFREC).

Mainstreaming  of  environmental  issues  into  poverty  eradication  efforts  should  be  a  basic
principle  in  the  EU-Africa  co-operation  considering  that  environmental  protection  is  not  a
limitation  to  development  but  the  base  for  sustainable  livelihoods.  In  this  context,  it  is
important to recognise the cross-cutting nature of the environment, in particular with respect
to  food  security,  international  trade  including  illegal  logging,  settlement  and  prevention  of
conflicts, and regional integration.

13

Section  3.  Area  F.  Regional  cooperation  and  integration/Integration  of  Africa  into  the
world economy/trade

Since  the  Cairo  summit,  the  EU  has  given  prominence  to  and  stepped  up  its  support  for
regional  integration  by  contributing  to  the  integration  of  African  countries  into  the  world
economy and playing a decisive role in consolidating peace and preventing conflict. The EU-
ACP Partnership Agreement signed in Cotonou in June 2000 gives high priority to support for
regional cooperation and integration. Today, all the regional indicative programmes have been
signed  and  the  mandated  African  regional  organisations  will  have  the  benefit  of  a  global
amount  of  €600  million  over  the  next  five  years,  of  which  close  to  €300  million  has  been
allocated to economic integration. The importance of regional integration in the context of the
Barcelona  process  has  also  been  acknowledged,  in  particular  the  need  for  South-South
integration. The Mediterranean regional process will receive about €400 million for the period
2000-2005.

In September 2002 the EU and the countries of the Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP)
launched negotiations for “Economic and Partnership Agreements” (EPAs). A key element of
this  new  partnership  is  regional  integration  among  ACP  countries.  Creating  larger  markets
will  contribute  to  attracting  both  local  and  foreign  investors.  At  the  same  time,  the
harmonisation of policies and rules at regional level will offer a more transparent and stable
economic environment. Partnership also means that the trade agreements must be designed in
a  way,  which  takes  account  the  specific  economic,  social  and  environmental  constraints  of
each  ACP  country  and  region,  as  well  as  of  their  capacity  to  adapt  and  to  adjust  their
economies to the new trading environment.

Negotiations are conducted on the basis of a two-stage approach: a first phase of all ACP-EU
discussions  which  is  ongoing  and  a  second  phase  of  negotiations  with  ACP  regional
groupings.  The  EU  is  fully  committed  to  engage  the  negotiations  with  the  regions  and  to
accelerate the preparations for these negotiations, notably with those SSA sub-regions which
have  already  indicated  their  commitment  to  open  negotiations  by  September  2003  at  the
latest.

Within  this  context,  at  the  2nd  EU-Africa  ministerial  meeting  in  Ouagadougou,  both  sides
emphasised the importance of ensuring coherence between the regional economic  groupings
engaged  in  Economic  Partnership  Agreement  negotiations  with  the  EU  and  the  Regional
Economic  Communities  (RECs)  set  up  with  a  view  to  establishing  the  African  Economic
Community as provided  for in the Constitutive  Act of the African Union. Consultations are
foreseen  between  the  EC  and  the  AU  Commission  to  examine  the  coherence  and  synergies
between the different regional integration processes in Africa and the EPAs negotiations.

The  EU  and  Africa  will  continue  their  co-operation  and  regular  dialogue  on  WTO  matters
notably in  the  context  of  the  Doha  Development  Agenda  with  a  view  to  mainstreaming  the
development  dimension  in  all  areas  of  negotiations.  The  EU  is  fully  committed  to  make
significant  progress  during  the  5th  WTO  ministerial  conference  in  Cancun  in  all  areas  of
negotiations. In the DDA negotiations, the EU takes fully account of the preferential trading
relations it has developed with  Africa, in  a  way that the multilateral trading  system  and  the
bilateral trading agreements are complementary and mutually supportive. This is of particular
importance  in  areas  such  as  market  access,  agriculture,  TRIPs  and  access  to  medicines,
Special and Differential Treatment, as well as in the so-called Singapore issues  (investment,
competition, trade facilitation and transparency in government procurement). The EU is also

14

fully committed to continue  its  support  for  enhancing  the  capacity  of  African  countries  and
regions to participate fully in WTO and EPA negotiations. In that context, the EU is by far the
biggest  source  of  trade  related  assistance/capacity  building  in  Africa  with  a  strong  regional
emphasis.

Section 3. Area G: External Debt

The  First  Ministerial  Conference  held  in  Brussels  in  October  2001  decided  that  a  group  of
experts from both Africa and EU would prepare a joint report on the debt crisis in Africa and
on its impact on the development prospects of the continent. Both sides have presented their
own draft report, with diverging views, and even if there are some areas of consensus, it has
so far not been possible to reach a common understanding on a joint report.

At the Ouagadougou Ministerial meeting it was agreed to continue talks within the framework
of an expert meeting which would advance work on the joint report. The Commission hopes
that this meeting will take place in time for it to feed input back into the preparations of the
second Summit.

Whenever the second EU-Africa Summit takes place, it should be possible to obtain a formal
political  commitment to continuing discussions  on  possible  ways  of  ensuring  the  successful
implementation of debt relief under the HIPC framework and of deepening and/or broadening
debt relief within the appropriate forums (G8, IMF/WB Boards, Paris Club, etc.).

As a contribution to the dialogue on debt, the Commission has decided to finance a study that
will  investigate  the  sustainability  of  the  HIPC  initiative  and  the  arguments  in  favour  and/or
against the options for further debt relief. This study will be financed under the responsibility
of the Commission, which will ensure that it reflects the views of the Member States, African
countries,  World Bank/IMF and other  interested  partners.  Once  this  study  is  completed,  the
Commission  is  willing  to  table  the  relevant  elements  as  a  contribution  to  the  EU-Africa
dialogue.

It is recalled that, so far, the Commission has pledged more than € 1.275 billion to the HIPC
initiative:  €  734  million  as  a  donor  to  the  HIPC  Trust  Fund,  €  485  million,  as  a  creditor  -
including  the  recent  €  125  million  decision  of  the  EC-ACP  Council  of  Ministers  -  and  an
additional € 60 million, again as a creditor, to alleviate all the special loans granted to least
developed ACP HIPCs that would remain after the full implementation of the enhanced HIPC
initiative.  Moreover,  the  Commission  remains  committed  to  covering,  on  a  fair  burden-
sharing  basis,  the  potential  cost  of  “topping-up”,  i.e.  the  additional  debt  relief  that  may  be
needed on a case-by-case basis by individual countries suffering particularly from exogenous
shocks  caused  by  the  global  economic  downturn  and  the  fall  in  commodity  prices.  In  this
perspective,  further  support  of  €  335  million  is  expected  to  be  approved  by  the  Council  of
Ministers at its meeting of 16 May.

Section 3. Area H: Return of stolen or Illicitly Exported Cultural Goods

The dialogue on cultural goods has added a significant dimension to the political relationship
between Africa and the EU.The issue of the return of stolen or illicitly exported cultural goods
has  to  be  seen  against  the  context  of  systematic  theft,  clandestine  excavations  and  illegal
trafficking, which  continue  to  cause  serious  damage  to the  cultural heritage of both  African
and European countries.For African countries, the retrieval of cultural goods also carries high
symbolic value  in  building  a  cultural identity, as  well  as  ensuring  moral  rehabilitation  from
the colonial past.

15

Awareness  is  growing  as  to  the  need  to  better  protect  cultural  heritage  against  illicit
trafficking  and  the  recognition  that  every  country  should  possess  at  least  an  adequate
representative  collection  of  its  cultural  heritage.  Major  art  market  countries  have  recently
taken  steps  to  adhere  to  relevant  international  conventions  and  ethical  considerations  are
increasingly part of the debate.

A breakthrough in the EU-Africa dialogue on cultural goods was achieved by an ad hoc group
of  experts  convened  in  Addis  Ababa  on  13-14  November  2002,  which  drew  up  a  set  of
guiding  principles  and  concrete  recommendations  for  action.  Following  the  experts’  report,
the  Ministerial  Meeting  in  Ouagadougou  requested  the  establishment  of  a  preliminary
inventory of all relevant ongoing cooperation activities between EU and African stakeholders,
with a view to developing concrete proposals for cooperation.The EU is currently working on
this  inventory  and  hopes  a  first  draft  can  be  discussed  with  the  African  side  before  the
Summit.

Working on the confidence-building steps achieved, the dialogue on cultural goods should:

–  place  greater  emphasis  on  ethical  and  cultural  arguments,  raise  awareness  of  the  damage
caused by  theft and illicit  export of cultural  goods and promote  the  relevant  professional
codes of ethics;

–  foster  adherence  by  all  countries  in  the  EU  and  Africa  to  the  relevant  international
conventions, in particular the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and
Preventing the  Illicit  Import, Export and  Transfer  of Ownership  of Cultural Property  and
the  1995  UNIDROIT  Convention  on  Stolen  or  Illegally  Exported  Cultural  Objects;
concerted  measures  at  EU  level  under  the  1970  UNESCO  Convention  in  favour  of
particularly  endangered  archaeological  or  ethnological  materials  from  certain  African
countries could be considered;

–  develop  and  support  capacity-building  measures  in  African  countries,  in  particular
providing targeted cultural assistance packages  addressing specifically the issue of stolen
and illicitly exported cultural goods in areas such as inventories and information exchange,
conservation,  training,  development  of  archaeological  sites,  research,  security  and
police/customs;

–  support  the  activities  of  UNESCO  in  this  area  and  involve  experienced  cultural

professionals from both sides.

Section 4. Beyond Lisbon: a new Dialogue

At the Ouagadougou ministerial meeting, the European side proposed a  “Platform  on future
relations between Africa and the EU”,7 which calls for a more flexible, simplified, direct and
political dialogue ensuring more interaction with existing dialogue and contractual formats.

The African side made concrete  proposals  to  improve  the  dialogue,  in  particular  expressing
the  need  “to  mandate  the  Commissions  …  to  strengthen  the  interaction  ….  and  explore  all
possibilities for cooperation.”

7

Annex 1

16

                                                
Within this context, there is scope for an increased role of EU Heads of Missions (HOM) in
Addis Ababa. There is also a need to reflect on workable arrangements for regular dialogue
with Africa at senior official and political levels.

A. Dialogue at political and senior official level:

(cid:1)  EU/Africa  Summits  could  be  considered  every  three  to  four  years  and  preferably  be
organised  in  conjunction  with  either  a  European  Council  meeting  or  an  AU  Summit
meeting.

(cid:1)  In  between  Summits,  a  stocktaking  Ministerial  Meeting  could  be  staged,  also  in

conjunction with planned EU or AU Ministerial meetings.

(cid:1)  Regular  political  and  senior  official  level  contacts  should  take  place  between  the  two

Commissions and through the respective troikas, as appropriate.

B. Bi-regional working group of officials.

The  current  system  of  a  bi-regional  working  group  of  senior  officials  gradually  bringing
together practically all AU and EU Member States has not proven to be  an efficient vehicle
for  dialogue  and  coordination.  A  smaller  group  of  officials  (say,  5  to  a  maximum  10  from
each  side)  meeting  regularly  could  be  a  more  effective  way  of  ensuring  coordination  and
stocktaking of the dialogue.

For  this  coordinating  working  group  to  become  operational  and  the  dialogue  process  to  be
really  kept  in  motion  on  a  permanent  basis,  there  is  an  obvious  case  for  strengthening  a
dialogue first and foremost at the level of the EU Missions in Addis Ababa with the AU.

C. Regular dialogue between AU and HOM in Addis Ababa.

Regular dialogue should be ongoing between donor Ambassadors and the AU Commissioner
in charge of peace and security/Chair of the Peace and Security Council within the framework
of an ambassadorial  level  AU/donor working  group,  which  is  likely  to  encompass  most  EU
HOM in Addis Ababa (see section 3 area B – page10). There is also a need to ensure regular
EU  coordination  in  advance  of  these  meetings  (for  both  technical  and  ambassadorial  level
meetings).  Yet,  a  regular  EU  HOM  dialogue  with  the  AU  Commission  and  the  local  Chair
and/or troika of Permanent representatives would be called for and should tackle the broader
scope of the AU agenda (including the peace and security agenda and beyond). This regular
dialogue should feed into the work of the above-mentioned bi-regional working group.

D. Brussels–based dialogue with African HOM.

Without  duplicating  the  above-mentioned  Addis  Ababa-based  dialogue,  regular  meetings
between the EU and African Ambassadors in Brussels, including meetings between the EU-
Africa Working group troika and a troika of African Ambassadors, could also be envisaged.

E. The AU/EU Commissions

As  agreed  in  Ouagadougou,  the  two  Commissions  should  be  instrumental  in  preparing  the
work and maintaining the momentum of the coordination process in the EU/Africa dialogue.

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ANNEX

EU-Africa Ministerial Conference,
Ougadougou, 28 November 2002

EU Platform
On Future Relations Between Africa and EU

1.  The  EU/Africa  Summit  in  Cairo  in  April  2000  meant  the  historic  start  of  an  enhanced
EU/Africa  dialogue  and  set  in  motion  a  process  that  leads  up  to  the  EU/Africa  Summit  in
Lisbon planned for 4 – 5 April 2003.

Stressing  the  importance  of  a  common  vision  on  the  dialogue,  it  is  now  time  to  start  the
deliberations on the dialogue after the Lisbon Summit - the “Post-Lisbon Agenda”, also with
a view to follow-up on work done under the Cairo Action Plan. It will be up to Heads of State
and Government to decide in Lisbon about the future of the dialogue.

2.  In  view  of  the  major  landmark  events  at  pan-African  level  that  have  occurred  since  the
Cairo  Summit  in  2000,  the  EU  finds  that  the  Summit  should  develop  a  framework  for  the
future EU/Africa dialogue after Lisbon, taking account of the creation of the African Union
and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development - NEPAD.

The  EU  considers  the  African  Union  to  be  the  central  organisation  for  peace,  security  and
regional  integration  on  the  African  continent.  The  EU  furthermore  considers  itself  to  be  a
natural partner to the African Union, in view of its conception, structures and roles. The AU
has  a  long  and  difficult  task  ahead  of  it,  and  the  EU  will  endeavour  to  support  the  AU  in
particular areas as well as with capacity building in general.

The  EU  takes  note  of  the  roles  and  responsibilities  assigned  to  the  AU  and  NEPAD,  as  a
programme of the AU. The EU considers this to be a new basis for EU relations with Africa.
In  this  sense,  NEPAD  provides  a  framework  that  should  contribute  to  a  strengthened
EU/Africa dialogue.

The EU/Africa dialogue is the only forum where Africa  and Europe can discuss issues with
global continental implications. Taking the importance of the AU and NEPAD into account,
the EU looks to the African side for input on how dialogue and cooperation can continue in its
current Africa-wide format.

In the view of the EU, the dialogue should have a stronger focus on political and pan-African
issues  around  a  limited  number  of  common  priorities.  Within  this  context,  clear  objectives
should be set which are geared to demonstrable progress on desired outcomes.

3. The EU considers that the Lisbon Summit should strengthen the dialogue between  Africa
and the EU with a view to making it more flexible, more efficient and fully complementary
with the dialogue and cooperation in other existing structures.

Flexibility and efficiency

More flexible and efficient working methods should be established. Smaller meeting formats
should  be  envisaged,  adapted  to  the  topics  to  be  discussed  and  taking  due  account  of  the
varying responsibilities of the bodies involved. The guiding principle would be to determine
the appropriate format as a function of the topics.

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To enhance the efficiency of the dialogue, provision should be made during preparations for
meetings  in  smaller  groups  representing  the  two  sides.  Where  appropriate,  the  EU  would
envisage greater use of coordinators (presidency and the EU Commission) or the EU troika,
representing  the  EU.  In  this  way,  coordinators  could  help  to  provide  greater  continuity  and
more  focus  in  the  preparations  for  the  dialogue,  improving  on  regularity,  efficiency  and
flexibility.

The  main  formats  of  dialogue  would  be  meetings  (1)  at  the  level  of  officials,  in  smaller
formats  representing  each  of  the  two  sides  as  well  as  in  full  format,  and  (2)  meetings  of  a
more  specific  nature  in  ad  hoc  groups.  There  should  also  be  the  possibility  of  forums
involving NGOs and civil society as well as Government representatives.

The full EU/Africa format would remain the overall framework for this dialogue. Agendas for
the  meetings  should  remain  flexible  with  a  view  to  retaining  pertinence  and  the  ability  to
respond to opportunities and developments.

Complementarity

It  is  essential  that  the  EU/Africa  dialogue  is  fully  complementary  and  adds  value  to  the
dialogue  and  cooperation  in  other  existing  structures  (not  least  EU-ACP,  EU-MEDA,  EU-
SADC,  and  EU-ECOWAS;  UN;  WTO;  WB/IMF  and  HIPC).  In  this  sense,  the  EU/Africa
dialogue  could  play  a  useful  complementary  role  at  Pan-African  level  to  the  cooperation
between the EC and Africa through the Cotonou Agreement, for Sub-Saharan Africa, the EU-
MED Partnership Agreement (MEDA) for North African countries, and the EU-South Africa
Trade  Development  Cooperation  Agreement,  which  all  have  their  focus  at  national  and
subregional levels.

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