COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the consolidation of EU Africa relations  1.5 billion people, 80 countries, two continents, one future
Date: 2010-11-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Africa, European cooperation, development aid, foreign policy

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 10.11.2010 
COM(2010) 634 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN 
PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL 

on the consolidation of EU Africa relations 

1.5 billion people, 80 countries, two continents, one future 

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EUROPE-AFRICA: ADJUSTING THE PARTNERSHIP TO NEW REALITIES 

The  third  EU-Africa  Summit,  bringing  together  80  Heads  of  State  and  Government, 
will  take  place  in  late  November  2010.  It  will  provide  an  opportunity  to  consolidate 
EU-Africa relations, offering the prospect of a better and more prosperous future for 
1.5 billion people in 80 countries. It will also provide the opportunity to adapt the EU-
Africa  partnership  to  the  significant  developments  that  have  occurred  in  Europe,  in 
Africa  and  internationally  since  the  last  EU-Africa  Summit  and  the  adoption  of  the 
Joint Africa-EU Strategy in 20071. 

In  Europe,  the  Lisbon  Treaty  and  the  creation  of  the  European  External  Action 
Service, working closely with European Commission services, will enable the EU to 
better  link  its  external  political  and  economic  agenda.  It  will  ensure  greater 
consistency between the EU's Africa policy and its overall policies. It will also enable 
both partners to better coordinate their positions and to convey joint messages at the 
global level. 

In Africa, success stories demonstrate a continuous path towards peace, stability and 
democracy. However poverty, poor governance, conflicts and human rights violations 
still persist in many places, making progress slow and uneven. But Africa has affirmed 
its willingness to assume responsibility for its destiny, to rely less on external aid and 
to  tackle  global  challenges.  Political  and  economic  integration  has  progressed  at 
regional and continental levels, with Africa increasingly speaking with one voice at the 
global level and with the African Union emerging as a key actor. 

Africa’s  economic  growth  has  been  impressive,  with  6%  average  annual  growth 
between 2006 and 2008. This trend was  more than halved in 2009 due,  inter  alia, to 
the  global  economic  and  financial  crisis,  fluctuating  commodity  prices  and  exports, 
falling  remittances  and  a  substantial  slowdown  in  Foreign  Direct  Investment. 
Forecasts however show that the African continent is likely to benefit quickly from an 
economic upturn and return to high growth levels. 

Together, the EU and Africa make up a quarter of the world population and more than 
one third of the members of the United Nations (UN). Both Europe and Africa have 
been  at  the  forefront  in  promoting  an  international  regulatory  framework  and 
institutions that are more inclusive. Europe has favoured that the G-8 and G-20 reach 
out to Africa and give the continent opportunities to make its voice heard. The EU has 
also  supported  the  reform  of  the  International  Financial  Institutions  and  has  helped 
secure an additional seat for Africa on the World Bank Board. 

The  EU  remains  Africa's  most  important  political  ally  and  a  reliable  trade  and 
development  partner.  At  the  last  EU-Africa  Summit  in  Lisbon  in  2007,  both  sides 
decided to place their relations on a new, equal and strategic footing. Both now need 
to  go  further  in  order  to  live  up  to  this  ambition,  including  through  the  effective 

The  Joint  Africa-EU  Strategy  is  articulated  around  8  thematic  partnerships:  Peace  and  Security; 
Democratic Governance and Human Rights; Trade, Regional Integration and Infrastructure; Millennium 
Development  Goals;  Energy;  Climate  Change;  Migration,  Mobility  and  Employment;  Science, 
Information Society and Space. 

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implementation  of  the  Joint  Africa-EU  Strategy.  At  the  same  time,  emerging  global 
players  are  strengthening  their  presence  in  Africa  and  South-South  cooperation  is 
increasing.  These  new  trends  represent  a  healthy  challenge  for  Africa-EU  relations, 
which call for a renewed focus on recognised strengths and added value, and for better 
coordination and identification of win-win situations. 

(7)  While the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will remain at 
the  heart  of  the  Africa-EU  Joint  Strategy,  there  is  a  need  to  support  Africa  in 
strengthening its political and economic governance, and in reinforcing the regulatory, 
fiscal  and  business  environment  that  allows  better  mobilizing  of  the  continent's  own 
assets in a sustainable way. Engaging with the private sector and ensuring a financial 
leverage  effect  of  development  assistance  will  be  crucial  in  this  respect.  The  EU's 
2020  Strategy  provides  an  inspiration  for  our  relations  with  Africa,  creating  a 
framework  to  translate  our  political  objectives  into  concrete  actions  to  guide  Africa-
EU relations in the next decade. 

(8) 

2. 

(9) 

(10) 

(11) 

Europe  and  Africa  must  build  on  the  achievements2  of  the  Joint  Strategy  in  order  to 
increase its impact at global, continental and regional level. The lessons learnt the past 
three years show that the Joint Strategy has to better fulfil its potential and to become 
more  responsive  to  present  and  future  challenges.  The  relationship  must  effectively 
move  beyond  institutions  and  the  fragmented,  development-centric  approach  of  the 
past  to  jointly  address  global  issues.  Both  sides  must  overcome  their  inconsistencies 
and develop channels for an effective interaction. In Africa, reinforcing subsidiarity by 
rationalising  overlapping  mandates  and  potentially  conflicting  agenda  remains  a 
challenge.  In  Europe,  competing  national  interests,  uncoordinated  bilateral  initiatives 
and  lack  of  coordination  between  instruments  undermine  visibility  and  political 
traction. 

EU-AFRICA: ADDRESSING COMMON CHALLENGES TOGETHER 

The  EU-Africa  Partnership  is  the  only  continent-to-continent  strategic  partnership 
that the EU has. It is not a donor-to-recipient partnership; it is a real comprehensive 
partnership, based on common interests and the achievement of mutually beneficial 
situations.  

The specific added-value of the Africa-EU Partnership is its political nature, its broad 
scope and its capacity to jointly address global issues and common public goods, at a 
time when the speed of globalization requires coordinated political responses within 
the frame of multilateral diplomacy. Europe and Africa share values and interests in 
key areas and need to translate their vision into concrete results.  

Achieving  the  Millennium  Development  Goals  (MDGs):  the  United  Nations  High 
Level Plenary Meeting held in New York last September reconfirmed that the MDGs 
remain  achievable  with  the  adequate  political  will,  policy  changes  and  resources 
from all partners. Particular attention will be paid to the targets and countries that are 
most  off-track  (most  of  them  being  in  Africa)  and  to  the  people  who  are  most 
vulnerable and marginalised. The Partnership on MDGs, reinforced with the recent 1 

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http://www.africa-eu-partnership.org/ 

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(12) 

(13) 

(14) 

billion  MDG  initiative  aimed  at  consolidating  progress  in  those  countries  which 
performed best and help the countries most in need, will continue to play a catalytic 
role  to  stimulate  policy  reforms  and  mobilize  the  necessary  resources  for  jointly 
agreed priority areas, building on Africa's own initiatives. 

Tackling threats to peace and security. This partnership has been the most successful 
partnership  of  the  Joint  Africa-EU  Strategy  so  far,  whether  on  cooperation  and 
coordination  on  geographical  issues  or  on  democracy  and  unconstitutional  changes 
of  government  in  Africa,  or  on  the  development  of  an  African  Peace  and  Security 
Architecture. Africa and the EU will continue to work on their current priorities but 
will also need to go further, for example by formulating common positions within the 
United Nations system. It will be important to continue common work on such global 
threats to security as terrorism and transnational organized crime, including inter alia, 
various forms of trafficking (in particular human beings and drugs) and piracy. In the 
specific  areas  of  crisis  management  and  prevention,  both  continents  should  jointly 
establish a system that enables constant consultations throughout crisis cycles, from 
early  warning  to  recovery  action.  In  cooperation  with  the  United  Nations,  they 
should  also  work  together  to  improve  the  financial  and  operational  capacity  of  the 
African  Union,  Regional  Economic  Communities  and  regional  mechanisms  to 
prevent conflicts, and to plan, deploy and manage peace support operations. 

Promoting  governance,  democracy,  rule  of  law  and  human  rights,  in  their  political 
and  economic  dimensions  at  all  levels.  The  EU's  commitment  to  the  respect  and 
promotion  of  human  rights  will  remain  a  core  underlying  principle  of  EU-Africa 
relations  and  will  continue  to  be  reflected  in  our  agreements.  Civil  society  and  the 
private  sector  should  be  increasingly  involved  to  strengthen  governance  agendas  in 
all  sectors,  which  will  in  turn  help  to  create  better  conditions  for  inclusive  and 
sustainable  growth.  The  new  Africa-EU  Platform  for  Dialogue  on  Governance  is  a 
useful  instrument  in  that  regard.  Cooperation  on  economic  and  global  governance 
should be deepened, by addressing inter alia the transparent, sustainable management 
of natural resources and revenues, as well as the fight against fraud, corruption and 
the  illicit  flight  of  capital.  Both  sides  also  need  to  address  the  reform  of  the 
multilateral Democratic Governance and Human Rights system and of international 
organisations.  

Strengthening  the  legitimacy  and  efficiency  of  multilateral  institutions.  Both 
continents  should  develop  a  coherent  vision  of  how  they  can  support  each  other  in 
promoting shared interests, position themselves more effectively in the global arena 
and  cooperate  in  ongoing  and  future  international  negotiations  so  that  the  results 
reflect  their  respective  political  and  strategic  priorities.  The  EU  will  continue  to 
support  political initiatives towards  an appropriate African role in key international 
organizations,  institutions  and  fora  in  the  context  of  the  upcoming  reforms  (United 
Nations, International Financial Institutions, G-8 / G-20, World Trade Organisation, 
World Health Organisation). At the same time the EU will continue to engage with 
its African partners to secure the adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution that 
would allow the new EU representatives, in accordance with the Treaty of Lisbon, to 
participate effectively in the work of the UN General Assembly. 

(15) 

Combating  climate  change  and  environmental  degradation,  acknowledging  the 
important role biodiversity and ecosystem services play in this context. In the post-
Copenhagen  context,  the  EU-Africa  dialogue  will  be  instrumental  in  building  a 

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to  achieving  a 

common  vision  for  UNFCCC  negotiations  while  bridging  positions  in  Cancun  and 
legally-binding  agreement.  Increased 
beyond,  with  a  view 
coordinating  efforts  between  the  African  Union,  its  Member  States,  Regional 
Economic  Communities  and  the  New  Partnership  for  Africa's  Development 
(NEPAD)  will  be  crucial  in  this  respect.  The  Partnership  on  Climate  Change  will 
remain the platform for pursuing implementation of joint flagship initiatives such as 
the  Global  Climate  Change  Alliance,  CLIMDEV  Africa,  the  Great  Green  Wall  for 
the Sahara and the Sahel initiative in synergy with other partnerships. A dialogue on 
the  sustainable  management  of  natural  resources,  agreements  on  forest  legislation 
and projects, as well as joint policy on disaster risk reduction will also be pursued.  

3. 

EU-AFRICA: A FORWARD LOOKING VISION 

(16) 

(17) 

The Joint Africa-EU Strategy has therefore built a successful acquis that needs to be 
maintained. However, given the scale of the challenges facing the two continents, our 
partnership needs to evolve further.  

In  order  to  ensure  long-term  development,  more  attention  will  be  paid  to  how 
development cooperation should help creating enabling conditions for inclusive and 
sustainable  growth.  The  overarching  theme  of  the  third  EU-Africa  Summit  on 
"Growth, Investment and Job creation" will set the tone for cooperation between the 
two continents and provide long-term orientations in these areas. This theme is well 
aligned  with  the  priorities  identified  in  the  EU  2020  Strategy  and  with  the  Green 
Paper on "Increasing the impact of EU development policy" which is being presented 
in parallel to this Communication. 

(18)  With the aim of delivering an inclusive and sustainable growth, cooperation in the 
coming  decade  should  focus  inter  alia  on  high-impact  activities  that  can  leverage 
investments with the aim of realising the huge combined potential of our partnership. 
In  the  Green  Paper,  the  Commission  states  that  the  EU  should  consider  new  Joint 
Strategies for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in partnership with the individual or 
regional groupings of countries, also involving private sector stakeholders and civil 
society  organisations.  This  issue  is  particularly  relevant  with  respect  to  the  EU-
Africa partnership. 

(19) 

The  objective  of  inclusive  growth  should  underpin  EU-African  initiatives  for  a 
broad-based  and  balanced  growth  and  increased  investment  that  helps  reducing 
poverty and inequality.  

•  In order to work towards high-employment economies that foster social cohesion, 
initiatives to extend social protection coverage to the most vulnerable, to create a 
multi-level dialogue in particular on informal economy issues, to enhance labour 
market  governance  and  to  support  the  harmonisation  process  of  the  labour  and 
social protection frameworks at regional level in Africa will be promoted.  

•  Better  provision  of  services  and  infrastructures  are  other  important  issues  for 
stronger  private  sector  activity,  as  well  as  a  source  of  growth  and  employment. 
The accessibility, affordability and reliability of basic services in transport, health, 
communication and finance in particular are essential preconditions for the growth 
and development of all other sectors of the economy. The Africa-EU Partnership 

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on Infrastructure provides a strategic framework to address Africa's missing links, 
supported by the Infrastructure Trust Fund as innovative instrument for blending 
grants  and  loans.  The  EU  will  continue  to  address  the  infrastructure  gap,  by 
stepping  up  its  focus  on  energy,  ICT,  water  and  transport,  while  simultaneously 
fostering  the  role  of  the  private  sector  as  the  main  engine  for  growth  and 
infrastructure  financing.  In  complement,  initiatives  towards  improved  regulatory 
and legal frameworks will continue to be supported at national and regional level 
to create conditions for investment and proper market functioning.  

•  Cooperation  on  skills,  innovation  and  entrepreneurship  should  be  strengthened 
given its unique potential to fast-track Africa's development and deliver a tangible 
impact across all socio-economic sectors. In the field of S&T, the development of 
ICTs  and  affordable e-services in Africa will be a core objective. In the field of 
space,  initiatives  such  as  GMES  and  Africa  or  satellite  navigation  (EGNOS  and 
Gallileo)  will  be  further  promoted.  In  the  field  of  higher  education and  training, 
programmes  such  as  Erasmus  Mundus,  Media  Mundus,  Edulink  Nyerere,  Youth 
in Action, Marie Curie or "Tuning Educational Structures" initiatives are expected 
to contribute to the agenda of smart and inclusive growth, as will the cooperation 
among  professionals  of  the  culture  sector.  In  the  process  of  setting  up  the  Pan-
African University, the EU will encourage best practice sharing with the EIT on 
how to integrate fully the knowledge triangle (Education, Business and Research). 

•  Cooperation  on  migration  and  mobility  will  focus  on  the  ways  to  ensure  legal 
migration,  including  circular  migration,  in  direct  connection  with  labour  market 
requirements and employment opportunities in both continents. It will also aim to 
reduce  irregular  migration  flows  and  address  the  issue  of  particularly  vulnerable 
groups  such  as  refugees,  asylum seekers  and  unaccompanied  minors.  It 
will address the challenge of how to involve African diasporas more effectively in 
development  process.  Initiatives such  as  the  African  Remittances  Institute,  the 
Migration  Observatory,  the  Diaspora  Outreach  Initiative  and  the  Human 
Trafficking Initiative will be promoted in that respect. 

(20) 

The objective of sustainable growth should underpin EU-African initiatives for the 
development of efficient, green and competitive economies.  

•  Regional integration in all its aspects is a powerful driver for stability, growth and 
development.  Many  African  countries  share  common  resources,  such  as  natural 
resources,  and  are  faced  by  equally  common  challenges,  such  as  lack  of 
infrastructure  or  low  agricultural  productivity.  Integration  can  be  mutually 
beneficial  and  induce  a  positive  agenda  of  reforms,  enhanced  cooperation,  and 
improved  security.  Regional  integration  can  help  African  countries  to  reap  the 
benefits  of  economies  of  scale,  stronger  competition,  and  more  domestic  and 
foreign  investment.  Trade  also  acts  as  a  catalyst  for  private  sector  activity  and 
investment by contributing to a favourable investment environment and providing 
access to markets and essential inputs. A managed market opening that takes into 
account the needs and capacities of developing economies and is combined with 
appropriate  national  policies  and  support,  has  delivered  demonstrable  results 
globally. In this respect, trade agreements can help improve economic governance 
by  contributing  to  the  establishment  of  a  stable  regulatory  framework  for  the 
economy.  The  EU  therefore  remains  committed  to  further  deepen  its  long-
standing trade relations with Africa with a view to contributing to the latter's long-

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term  prosperity  and  well-being,  notably  via  the  conclusion  of  the  Economic 
Partnership Agreements.  

•  The  area  of  raw  materials  can  be  a  clear  domain  of  mutually  beneficial 
cooperation to develop the sustainable development and supply of raw materials. 
Joint  cooperation  could  be  fostered  and  extended  to  the  private  sector  to  create 
mutually beneficial opportunities for both continents, for example on the basis of 
the  Commission  Communication  on  raw  materials  and  the  AU  Commission's 
Mining Vision 2050. Specific actions will focus on governance (including EITI), 
infrastructure  and  investments,  and  geological  knowledge  and  skills.  Sustainable 
consumption and production also relies on small and medium-sized enterprises, to 
increase resource efficiency for greener production and develop more competitive 
companies.  Building  on  African  initiatives  such  as  the  African  Union  10-Year 
Framework Programme on Sustainable Consumption and Production, the creation 
of  a  SWITCH  Africa  Programme  could  be  considered  to  support  long-term 
sustainable economic growth and competitiveness. 

respect 

the  diverse 

•  With respect to agriculture, EU-Africa cooperation will continue in the framework 
of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme. Priority will 
be given to intensification approaches for small-scale farmers that are sustainable, 
ecologically  efficient  and 
functions  of  agriculture. 
Geographical indications and organic farming are areas for further discussion with 
the  African  Union  Commission.  High  value  crops  could  be  produced,  which 
would  enhance  sustainable  smallholder  production  with  the  potential  to  create 
employment  and  income  for  rural  populations,  while  providing  environmental 
services  and  contribute  to  climate  change  adaptation  and  mitigation.  The  same 
approach  will  be  pursued  in  the  area  of  fisheries.  Moreover,  the  EU  should 
support  the  development  of  internationally  agreed  principles  for  responsible 
investment  in  agricultural  land.  It  should  also  encourage  governments  in  partner 
countries, farmers' organisations and other stakeholders to make informed choices 
that  ensure  sustainability  of  foreign  investments  so  as  to  maximise  the  social, 
economic and environmental benefits for the country. EU-Africa cooperation will 
also  continue  as  regards 
the  harmonisation  of  fragmented  sanitary  and 
phytosanitary frameworks. Likewise, proper consideration should be given to the 
promotion  of  responsible  fishing  practices  and  fisheries  management,  the 
introduction  of  measures  to  combat  illegal,  unreported  and  unregulated  fishing 
and to ensure full traceability of fishery products. 

•  With respect to sustainable energy and its efficient use, the Green Paper which is 
being presented in parallel to this Communication raises the issue that the EU and 
developing countries and/or regional groupings should act together, in the context 
of  existing  partnerships,  to  put  into  place  concrete  Joint  Programmes  to 
progressively  provide  sustainable  energy  to  all  citizens.  Such  programmes, 
involving highly leveraged EU development and climate change finance, EU and 
developing countries, the energy industry and EU financial institutions, could aim 
at identifying a timetable for joint actions, and include reforms, both in terms of 
investment  protection,  taxation  and  regional  power  collaboration.  They  should 
build  on  existing  initiatives  such  as  the  EU-Africa  Energy  Partnership  or  the 
Africa-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Program. 

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4. 

CONCLUSION: CONSOLIDATING THE EU-AFRICA PARTNERSHIP 

(21) 

(22) 

(23) 

The  speed  of  change  in  Africa  has  never  been  greater.  Moving  towards  a  genuine 
EU-Africa  partnership  based  not  only  on  development  cooperation  but  on  aid  as  a 
catalyst for inclusive and sustainable growth will be our common challenge for the 
next decade.  

In  Lisbon,  the  EU  and  Africa  agreed  to  act  together  on  the  basis  of  shared  values, 
shared  agendas and  shared  objectives.  Both  sides  now  need  to  do  more  to  translate 
this  ambition  into  coordinated  approaches,  concrete  cooperation, and  -  where 
possible - into aligned positions in the UN bodies, in IFIs and in major international 
negotiations.  The  EU  will  reach  out  more  proactively  to  Africa  in  this  regard,  and 
looks forward to Africa taking up this offer in a constructive and reciprocal spirit. 

In this respect, both sides need to do more to overcome the current fragmentation of 
policy  frameworks  and  financial  instruments  to  promote  greater  effectiveness  and 
visibility in their cooperation. Better synergies between EU policies have to be found 
to  ensure  a  real  "policy  coherence  for  development".  Increased  complementarities 
between EU policies towards Sub-Saharan Africa and the Mediterranean region need 
to  be  ensured.  Reinforced  collaboration  between  existing  EU  and  national 
instruments,  through  the  adaptation  of  the  relevant  policies,  and  legal  and  financial 
frameworks (currently European Development Fund, European Neighbourhood and 
Partnership  Instrument  and  Development  Cooperation  Instrument)  need  to  be 
explored.  The  governance  and  the  effectiveness  of  our  partnership  has  to  be 
strengthened inter alia through an enhanced political and policy dialogue, an efficient 
implementation  architecture,  the  active  involvement  of  key  stakeholders  as  well  as 
the provision of adequate resources including through the gradual establishment of a 
pan-African financial support programme. Better internal coordination with Member 
States  and  more  effective  cooperation  with  African  partners  and  with  emerging 
donors is essential. Better communication is also necessary in order to raise citizens' 
awareness  and  increase  stakeholders'  ownership  of  the  Partnership,  thereby 
improving the knowledge and perception of the collective efforts of both continents. 

(24) 

In order to deliver better results, the next Action Plan will give priorities to activities 
that: 

•  Have a clear regional, continental or global dimension, which is where the added 

value of the Joint Strategy lies; 

•  Have  a  clear  added  value,  are  focused  and  streamlined,  and  reinforce 
complementarity and coherence with existing initiatives and fora, and align with 
their 
African  strategic  priorities, 
mechanisms at continental and regional levels; 

their  organisations  and  structures  and 

•  Have  a  proven  buy-in  of  a  critical  mass  of  competent  actors  on  both  sides, 

including the necessary political, human and financial resources. 

(25) 

During the next Summit, both Europe and Africa  need to develop a realistic vision 
for their cooperation in the years to come, translating the paradigm "from donorship 
to  partnership"  into  the  next  Action  Plan.  Together  with  the  European  Investment 
Bank and the African Development Bank, they need to identify areas for high-impact 

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projects. They must exploit mutually beneficial situations that reconcile African and 
European  political  interests  and  economic priorities.  This  should  provide  enormous 
opportunities for all of our 1.5 billion citizens.  

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