JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Consultations and stakeholders’ views Accompanying the document Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council for a renewed impetus of the Africa-EU Partnership
Date: 2017-05-04
Institutions: European Commission, European External Action Service
Subjects: Africa, democratisation, education, human rights, investment, job creation, migration, peaceful co-existence, political cooperation, sustainable development

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION HIGH REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNION FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND SECURITY POLICY Brussels, 4.5.2017  SWD(2017) 151 final   JOINT STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT  Consultations and stakeholders’ views Accompanying the document Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council for a renewed impetus of the Africa-EU Partnership {JOIN(2017) 17 final} {SWD(2017) 150 final}  
 
 
Contents 

1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................ 3 

2. STAKEHOLDER GROUPS AND CONSULTATION ACTIVITIES ................................................................ 3 

3. THE RESULTS OF STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS .............................................................................. 3 

3.1. Results by horizontal issue ............................................................................................................................ 3 

3.1.1. The Africa-EU partnership ............................................................................................................. 3 

3.1.2. Youth ............................................................................................................................................... 5 

3.1.3. Stakeholder inclusion, particularly civil society ............................................................................ 6 

3.1.4. Job creation, entrepreneurship, trade and investment ................................................................... 7 

3.1.5. Professional training, education and skills development ............................................................... 8 

3.1.6. Human rights and governance ....................................................................................................... 9 

3.1.7. Migration ........................................................................................................................................ 9 

3.1.8. Peace and security ........................................................................................................................ 10 

3.1.9. E-commerce and the digital economy ........................................................................................... 11 

4. CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................................. 11 

Annex I — List of main consultation events .......................................................................................................... 13 

Annex II — Stakeholder suggestions not taken on board ...................................................................................... 14 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. INTRODUCTION 

This  joint  staff  working  document  accompanies  the  joint  communication  to  the  European 
Parliament  and  the  Council  Renewed  impetus  for  the  Africa-EU  partnership.  The  stakeholder 
consultations  for  the  review  of  the  Africa-EU  partnership  began  in  late  September  2016  (for  the 
context in which the consultations have been carried out, please see full list in Annex I). 

The objective of the consultations has been to gather views and opinions from a wide range of key 
stakeholders involved in the Africa-EU partnership and in preparations for the Africa-EU Summit 
to  be  held  on  29-30 November  this  year  in  Abidjan.  The  document  presents  the  results  of  a  first 
consultation  round  on  setting  the  priorities  for  the  future  Africa-EU  partnership  and  the  Summit 
itself,  summarising  the  various  contributions  received  and,  based  on  analysis  of  this  input, 
identifying the areas that stakeholders regard as priorities for deepening the Africa-EU partnership 
in  the  next  three  years.  It  should  consequently  be  borne  in  mind  that  further  consultations  with 
relevant stakeholders will take place throughout the preparation process in 2017 leading up to the 
Summit. 

2. STAKEHOLDER GROUPS AND CONSULTATION ACTIVITIES 

As part of the consultation strategy, input was collected from a wide range of stakeholders ranging 
from  relevant  public  authorities  (including  EU  and  African  Union  (AU)  member  states)  to  civil 
society  organisations  and  their  representative  umbrella  organisations  (including  civil  society 
organisations  (CSOs),  non-governmental  organisations  (NGOs),  human  rights  organisations  and 
youth  organisations).  African  experts  working  particularly  for  and  on  the  AU  (including  AU 
Commissioners  and  Representatives  of  AU  Commission  (AUC)  departments),  think  tanks  and 
foundations were also consulted. 

The consultation approach involved building on and using available information from all relevant 
existing consultations, such as those held for the joint communication on the renewed partnership 
with the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific, the review of the joint Africa-EU strategy 
2007-2016  and  the  revision  of  the  European  Consensus  for  Development.  Consultation  activities 
involved open public consultations, online feedback, high-level political bilateral meetings and both 
targeted and ad hoc consultations.  

3. THE RESULTS OF STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS 

This  chapter  analyses  the  results  by  issue  and  highlights  the  main  priorities  identified  by  the 
consultations. 

3.1. Results by horizontal issue 

3.1.1. The Africa-EU partnership 

A broad spectrum of stakeholders, from civil society and  African experts working particularly for 
and on the AU to African and European think tanks, shared their views and priorities for shaping 
the future of the Africa-EU partnership. Stakeholders are not unanimous in their perceptions of the 
way the Africa-EU partnership and the joint Africa-EU strategy have developed since 2007. While 
some  consider  that  it  has  gradually  progressed,  taking  into  account  the  changing  context  in  both 
Africa and the EU, others have more critical views. The 2017 Summit is in general, though, seen by 

3 

 
 
stakeholders as a ‘window of opportunity’ to decide on the future of the joint partnership and launch 
a  high-level  political  dialogue.  The  run-up  to  the  Summit  should  be  used  to  think  strategically 
within the EU and the AU/AU Commission, revisit the partnership, reach a common understanding 
and agree on a future approach. A need was expressed to understand the real purpose behind this 
strategic  partnership  and  to  make  it  useful  -  reinstating  the  philosophy  behind  the  partnership  on 
both sides. 

More  specifically,  stakeholders  stressed  that  African  countries  should  have  a  more  consistent  and 
unified position in relation to the Africa-EU partnership, particularly on what they want to achieve 
from the negotiations at the Summit. The European Union is a key partner in development efforts in 
Africa  and  should  continue  to  assist  Africa’s  processes  for  democratic  transition  and  economic 
transformation.  The  partnership  should  build  stronger  dialogue,  which  helps  to  strengthen  multi-
stakeholder  participation  in  many  pro-development  agendas,  from  policy  design  to  evaluation, 
supporting research and the advocacy capacity of non-state actors. Also, development must not just 
be limited to a few. The EU and Africa / the AU should together ensure a level playing field that 
meets the agreed standard that ‘nobody is left behind’ and development programmes should focus 
on key issues to achieve that purpose. 

Africa and the EU should be equal partners in tackling the current global crisis, the economic and 
financial crisis, rising inequalities, increasing economic protectionism and rising nationalism. Some 
stakeholders expressed concerns that the Africa-EU relationship is not always seen as a meeting of 
equals.  EU  engagement  should  find  synergies  with  both  the  2030  Agenda  for  Sustainable 
Development  and  the  AU’s  Agenda  2063,  which  are  becoming  points  of  reference  for  many 
countries on the African continent; they are forming a shared roadmap and encouraging increased 
harmonisation between countries and regions. 

African experts working particularly for and on the AU discussing common values between Europe 
and Africa were  enthusiastic and confident  about  the future  and expressed  the need to  maintain a 
solid  relationship  with  Europe  and  the  African  diaspora.  Think  tanks  were  in  this  sense  more 
inclined  to  berate  the  EU  for  its  inconsistencies,  i.e.  the  vagaries  of  EU  foreign  policy  and  the 
inconsistency  between  defending  European  values  and  pursuing  more  specific  interests  such  as 
security. The EU was seen as yet to achieve a desired change in attitude that would allow it to strive 
for a solid partnership, based on values and principles and a common agenda. This was seen as a 
pressing  issue  that  needed  to  be  addressed.  The  next  phase  of  dialogue  and  cooperation  should 
develop  an  approach  based  on  common  interests,  taking  into  account  that  the  AU  had  already 
agreed on a long-term strategy and that the EU was failing to show the necessary commitment to 
drafting an agenda in its own interest for sustainable cooperation with Africa. 

The African experts working particularly for and on the AU more specifically expressed the need 
for new forms of partnership to effectively tackle global challenges together between the AU and 
the EU. Any future partnership should tackle the issue of trust head-on, and it was suggested that a 
mutual accountability framework be introduced as a tool to cultivate trust and promote a culture of 
mutual accountability between equal partners. They argued that, in so far as African leaders need to 
be  held  accountable,  so  do  European  partners.  According  to  stakeholders,  the  current  partnership 
does not allow for an honest exchange of views about challenges. The partnership with the AU is 
not and should not be only about resources, but also about supporting the diplomatic efforts of the 
AU internationally. African participants argued that there is a disconnect with European partners’ 

4 

 
 
analyses  of  problems,  and  called  for  more  relevant  engagement  that  takes  into  account  their  self-
identified needs rather than ‘perceived needs’. 

The  joint  communication  recognises  the  relevance  of  stakeholder  views  and  so  proposes  a 
revitalised  framework  for  national,  regional  and  continental  joint  actions  between  Africa  and  the 
EU,  and  for  creating  a  stronger  political  relationship  by  lifting  the  existing  political  relationship 
with Africa to a higher strategic stage and pursuing it at different levels. Lastly, stakeholders shared 
their views on the results of the partnership and follow-up on Summits, calling for regular progress 
reviews, the introduction of a proper follow-up/monitoring & evaluation mechanism, and improved 
use of media plus investment in communication to publicise results.  

3.1.2. Youth 

Views were presented mainly on how young people should be involved in preparations for and in 
the Africa-EU Summit itself, on their political inclusion and democratic representation, and on the 
need to offer them sustainable education, employment and economic prospects. 

In  general,  strong  support  was  expressed  by  the  majority  of  stakeholders  for  ‘Youth’  as  a  central 
theme of the Summit. Civil society, NGOs and human rights and youth organisations, in particular, 
provided opinions and views on the topic — both in relation to the desired outcome of the Summit 
and  the  partnership  and  in  terms  of  young  people’s  participation  in  preparations  for  the  Summit 
itself.  African  experts  working  particularly  for  and  on  the  AU,  think  tanks  and  member  state 
ministers, though, also welcomed the focus on young people and stressed the importance of active 
participation  by  young  people  in  the  Summit,  including  youth  organisations  and  networks.  It  was 
emphasised  that  both  African  and  European  young  people  should  be  included  in  the  process  of 
preparing  the  Summit  if  it  was  to  be  successful.  Also,  participation  should  be  seen  as  more  than 
consultation and should involve ‘co-creation’  by young people of outcomes,  entailing  the need to 
empower them in the most effective way. Finally, the need to increase awareness of the upcoming 
Summit  among  youth  organisations  was  raised.  The  above-mentioned  views  will  be  taken  into 
account in preparations for the Summit. 

According  to  civil  society  and  youth  organisations,  African  young  people  lack  support  in  society 
and the state and need to be empowered in various ways to take their future into their own hands. 
The fragility of African young people and their political, economic and social marginalisation must 
be addressed. The need of the AU and Africa to reconnect with citizens, especially young people, 
was also expressed. It was noted that Agenda 2063 aims to focus on citizen participation but more 
needs  to  be  done  to  ensure  that  the  new  generation  of  Africans  connects  with  the  pan-African 
agenda. It was proposed that EU Delegations could increase their engagement with youth networks 
and play a role in bringing together youth organisations and African governments so as to overcome 
the  reluctance  of  some  African  governments  to  engage  with  young  people.  It  should  be  added, 
though, that the AU has made ‘Harnessing the demographic dividend through investment in youth’ 
a thematic priority for 2017 and the EU will support and complement the work of the AU on the 
matter where possible. 

Youth representatives from Africa and Europe should identify common goals and proposals to bring 
forward  at  the  Summit,  which  could  focus  on  economic  and  political  empowerment,  the  need  to 
build capacity among the most marginalised groups, creating/supporting strong networks of women 
and girls, scaling up youth participation in the labour market by strengthening the partnership with 

5 

 
 
the private sector  and enhancing skills,  and finally,  addressing barriers that affect young people’s 
daily lives, such  as conflict and corruption, social exclusion and limited access to jobs. Improved 
prospects  for  young  people  to  break  marginalisation  should  be  offered  through  better  education 
prospects, job creation and economic development with a strong focus on labour-intensive sectors. 
These matters are regarded as highly important and are covered under the second main strand of the 
joint communication; creating more and better jobs — particularly for youth. 

Youth  participation  in  decision-making,  together  with  women’s  and  young  people’s  inclusion  in 
political  processes  should  be  intensified  according  to  stakeholders.  Young  people  in  Africa  have 
lost  confidence  in  state  institutions,  i.e.  there  is  a  lack  of  trustworthy  role  models  in  government 
because of corruption, appointments not being on merit but through connections, and the frequent 
lack  of  competence  among  authorities.  The  need  for  reliable  data  and  statistics  on  youth 
representation  in  institutions  was  expressed.  Increased  information,  training  and  education  in 
politics for young people should also receive attention. The lack of term and age limits for political 
leaders must be addressed as a key threat for democracy and particularly relevant to young people. 
The  joint  communication  recognises  that  inclusive  participation  by  citizens  in  public  decision-
making and in particular the involvement of young people and women in formal political processes 
is lagging behind, leading to increased frustration and mistrust in state institutions. Moreover, the 
joint communication presents concrete deliverables on the issue, such as empowerment of women, 
young people and vulnerable people. This would entail encouraging their participation in decision-
making  processes  and  ensuring  equal  access  for  all  to  quality  education,  including  vocational 
education  and  training,  adequate  and  sustainable  social  protection,  health  care  (including 
reproductive  health  care  and  prevention  of  communicable  disease)  and  enhancing  youth 
participation  through  the  Erasmus+  youth  actions.  Engagement  with  positive  role  models  and 
mentors, such as community leaders and religious leaders, for young people was also suggested, to 
discourage radicalisation and violent extremism. 

The need to highlight the tangible benefits of the Summit for young people is important, to avoid 
raising expectations which cannot be met: i.e. tangible post-Summit goals should be set in relation 
to young people and the visibility of the Summit for young people and their organisations should be 
increased.  A  suggestion  by  stakeholders  was  to  have  the  AUC  adopt  a  resolution  on  the  role  of 
young people as equal partners in peace and security in line with UNSCR 2250, which urges states 
to include them in decision-making. 

The joint  communication upholds ‘youth’ as  the central theme  for the Summit and acknowledges 
the many points made by stakeholders, e.g. the need to improve participation in decision-making, 
ensuring  better  education  opportunities  and  creating  more  and  better  jobs  for  young  people. 
Stakeholders  also  rightly  call  for  active  participation  by  young  people  in  preparations  for  the 
Summit, and at the Summit itself, and although this will not be included in the joint communication 
it will be ensured in preparations for the Summit and at the Summit itself. 

3.1.3. Stakeholder inclusion, particularly civil society 

In  the  consultations,  there  was  criticism  that  real  involvement  of  stakeholders  in  the  Africa-EU 
partnership was absent, apart from the regular side-events of the successive Summits, and that the 
follow-up on decisions and recommendation made at the various stakeholders’ side-events had been 
weak. More active participation by civil society organisations (CSOs) and the private sector in the 

6 

 
 
partnership  was  called  for,  including  in  the  actual  preparations  for  the  Summit.  In  particular,  the 
need for real change in the way the private sector is involved was emphasised. The role of member 
states on both EU and African side is seen to have been considerably diminished and to be in need 
of  being  revitalised.  Stakeholders  called  for  member  states  to  be  invited  to  reflect  deeply  on 
Europe’s ambitions for Africa, in order to build a strong common approach to the partnership. 

Despite  the  increasing  importance  and  participation  of  CSOs,  according  to  the  stakeholders 
consulted — mainly the CSOs themselves  — their situation is not improving in different parts of 
Africa, putting in danger their essential role in contributing to development and reaching out to the 
most  marginalised.  There  is  still  a  need  to  continue  working  on  participation  by  civil  society  in 
decision-making.  Civil  society  participants  recommended  improving  the  representation  of  CSOs, 
local authorities and the private sector in regional forums at African level. In relation to how the EU 
should strengthen its partnerships with CSOs and local authorities to support the implementation of 
the  2030  Agenda,  there  was  unanimous  agreement  that  the  EU  should  recognise  the  role  of  non-
state actors and support their involvement through development assistance to achieve development 
goals. CSO stakeholders considered that a debate between the EU and the AU/AUC on the role of 
civil society organisations in the Africa-EU partnership is urgently needed. 

The priorities and concerns presented above are addressed in the joint communication, i.e. the EU 
will  strengthen  its  focus  on  and  support  for  facilitating,  preserving,  and  broadening  the  space  for 
civil society engagement in advocacy and policy shaping, and will complement this with action in 
support of greater civil society participation in continental decision-making processes in Africa. 

3.1.4. Job creation, entrepreneurship, trade and investment 

A majority of stakeholders involved in the consultations rightly put particular emphasis on the need 
to generate sustainable inclusive development, create and improve access to jobs for young people, 
foster inclusive and job-generating growth, focus on investment in Africa — promoting an enabling 
investment  and  trade  climate  conducive  to  sustainable  development  —  and  enhance  economic 
relations between Africa and the EU. The importance of creating more and better jobs, especially 
for young people, is, as mentioned earlier, one of the main strands in the joint communication and 
the priorities presented by stakeholders have been included. 

Agriculture and the agrifood industry was stressed as providing considerable scope for employment 
which could contribute to resolving the crisis in youth employment and to equipping the agricultural 
and  agrifood  sector,  throughout  its  entire  value  chain,  with  a  critical  mass  of  human  resources 
needed  to  make  agriculture  and  its  downstream  activities  a  major  engine  of  development. 
Smallholder  agriculture  should  be  modernised,  integrated  into  value  chains  and  markets  and 
approached as a ‘business’. The priority should also be given to ensuring open markets for African 
raw  and  processed  agricultural  products,  supporting  integration  of  African  regional  markets, 
improving  access  to  agriculture-related  information  and  land  reform,  encouraging  responsible 
foreign direct investment (FDI) and domestic investment by financing and helping to improve the 
business  environment  and  climate  to  promote  private  investment,  and  transferring  and  adapting 
appropriate  technology.  African  countries  have  to  pave  the  way  for  responsible  private-sector 
investment  by  creating  an  enabling  business  environment,  curbing  red  tape,  providing  public 
infrastructure, ensuring climate-smart agricultural solutions and capacity for facilitating the private 
sector  and  linking  to  farmers.  This  analysis  is  consistent  with  research  on  job  creation  for  young 

7 

 
 
people  and  economic  development,  and  is  contained  in  the  joint  communication.  However,  it  is 
important  to  note  that  agriculture  and  the  agrifood  industry  are  not  and  should  not  be  the  only 
sectors driving job creation and economic growth. Agriculture, the agrifood industry and household 
businesses  are  in  the  short  term  the  most  labour-intensive  job-creating  sectors.  Nevertheless,  the 
focus should also be on developing other areas and sectors, as emphasised and presented in the joint 
communication, such as the blue (ocean-related) economy and digitisation.  

On specifics, think tanks proposed focusing on lowering the pressure of taxation, improving access 
to  bank  financing  and  committing  the  state  to  facilitating  access  to  loans  in  order  to  foster 
entrepreneurship and economic growth. Finally, the Euro Chamber of Commerce advised prudence 
in  relation  to  promoting  free  trade  and  pushing  too  hard  for  a  continental  free  trade  agreement 
(CFTA)  in  Africa.  The  importance  of  private  investment  was  emphasised  due  to  its  increased 
importance as foreign aid is unlikely to rise. Thus, a ‘whole of society’ approach, cooperating with 
those who prove themselves to be effective and legitimate stakeholders, rather than government-to-
government assessments, was encouraged by G7 Africa directors. 

3.1.5. Professional training, education and skills development 

A number of stakeholders, including the Euro Chamber of Commerce, African and European think 
tanks  and  civil  society,  stressed  that  considerable  attention  must  be  given  to  providing  access  to 
education  and  training,  particularly  for  young  people  in  Africa.  This  view  is  shared  by  the  EU: 
advancing knowledge and skills is a central thematic focus in the joint communication. According 
to stakeholders this should particularly entail: 

- 

investing in effective, inclusive and open education systems; 

-  providing  skills-based  education,  including  support  for  young  people  in  agriculture  and  value 

chains, by organising exchange programmes for young Africans; 

-  promoting an innovative, skills-based approach to identifying the needs of stakeholders, markets 
and  the  economy  —  this  could  be  used  to  identify  different  jobs  in  agriculture,  build  suitable 
training  programmes  for  agricultural  and  agrifood  entrepreneurship,  and  support  new  types  of 
technical schools and ways of coordinating curricula; 

-  developing  entrepreneurial  skills  and  capacity  to  help  young  people’s  inclusion  in  the  socio-
professional environment of agriculture and agrifood sectors, including centring the educational 
system more on entrepreneurship; 

- 

- 

contributing to the promotion of ambitious reforms of higher education and quality training at 
higher  level  aimed  in  particular  at  diversifying  and  professionalising  the  supply  of  training  in 
order  to  make  young  graduates  more  employable  and  improve  their  contribution  to  the 
densification of the private sector; 

improving basic education, literacy and access to education for people without basic skills, and 
boosting efforts to improve girls’ access to school. 

These priorities are consistent with both existing and planned deliverables by the EU for deepening 
the Africa-EU partnership on advancing skills and knowledge and have thus also been reflected in 
the joint communication, e.g.in promoting joint efforts to facilitate access to primary, secondary and 

8 

 
 
higher  education,  as  well  as  vocational  education  and  training.  Also  reflected  in  the  joint 
communication  is  the  aspiration  of  the  EU  to  intensify  cooperation  activities  on  vocational  and 
entrepreneurial learning, in particular by facilitating private-sector involvement. 

3.1.6. Human rights and governance 

The  importance  of  continuing  to  work  together  on  governance,  democracy  and  human  rights  was 
stressed  during  consultations  —  particularly  by  civil  society  organisations  and  human  rights 
organisations. Other stakeholders also put emphasis on these areas, stating that the democracy, rule 
of  law  and  human  rights  agenda  is  under  pressure  and  is  therefore  more  relevant  than  ever  in 
Africa-EU  dialogues.  Young  African  stakeholders  stated  that  it  was  the  major  ambition  of  many 
young  people  in  Africa  to  build  democracy  and  rule  of  law  while  many  Western  democracies 
increasingly seem to be giving up on these values. 

The  priorities  raised  in  the  consultations  represent  a  broad  spectrum  of  issues  within  governance. 
They  include  ensuring  protection  of  human  rights;  ending  social  and  economic  exclusion; 
improving gender equality; securing political stability; fighting corruption, illicit financial flows and 
economic crime; promoting new modes of governance by bringing together public institutions and 
the  private  sector;  strengthening  African  governance  architecture  (AGA);  and  finally,  addressing 
tensions between trade interests, access to resources and indigenous land rights. The importance of 
addressing  these  challenges  is  recognised  and  the  majority  of  the  priorities  have  therefore  been 
taken into account in the joint communication. The EU has a strong and long-standing engagement 
with Africa on governance at national, regional and continental level as a fundamental element of 
its  relationship.  Moreover,  the  joint  communication  presents  concrete  deliverables  for  addressing 
the  challenges  raised  above,  e.g.  support  for  the  AGA  platform,  regular  AU-EU  human  rights 
dialogue,  fostering  cooperation  on  public  finance  management  with  a  focus  on  proactive 
instruments fighting  corruption,  and  support  for  African  activities  in  delivering  on  the  values  and 
commitments enshrined in the AU human rights system and instruments. 

3.1.7. Migration 

Migration  is  a  top  priority  in  Africa-EU  relations  and,  as  expected,  member  state  ministers,  civil 
society, African experts working particularly for and on the AU and G7 Africa directors raised the 
issue  during  consultations.  It  was  recommended  that  the  current  debate  and  cooperation  on 
migration be reinforced, partly by examining more closely both the root causes and consequences of 
migration  for  the  continent  and  ensuring  a  more  open  and  frank  dialogue  between  the  two 
continents.  In  collaboration  with  the  AU,  the  EU  was  encouraged  to  support  efforts  to  advance 
African  expertise  on  migration  and develop  a  continental  perspective  on  migration  —  seeing  that 
movement and changes within Africa are significant. G7 Africa directors emphasised that mobility 
is crucial to African economies and represents a cross-cutting issue which has to be addressed by a 
multidimensional approach — if undertaken with respect for international norms, this was seen as 
capable of fostering socioeconomic progress. 

The suggestions are valid and chime well with what is already being done and planned at EU level 
to  further  improve  the  partnership  between  Africa  and  the  EU  on  migration.  They  are,  therefore, 
reflected in the joint communication which however is drafted taking into account the fact that there 
are  already  a  number  of  existing  fora  for  discussions  between  Africa  and  the  EU  on  these  issues 
(Valletta, Rabat and Khartoum processes).  

9 

 
 
Civil  society  more  specifically  expressed  the  need  to  look  positively  at  migration  in  terms  of 
Africa’s  potential  in  human  resources,  overcoming  negative  images  of  Africa,  especially  in 
migration  management,  and  focusing  on  the  Africa-EU  partnership  as  win-win.  Views  were  also 
expressed  about  the  need  to  give  space  to  CSOs  —  not  just  governments  —  in  addressing  the 
impact  of  migration  (both  within  Africa  and  from  Africa  to  Europe).  Maintaining  a  positive 
narrative and a fact-based approach to migration — including to mobility and migration as a fact of 
life — is a key principle in the joint communication. 

3.1.8. Peace and security 

Preventing  conflicts,  addressing  crises  and  peacebuilding  is  a  central  theme  of  the  joint 
communication  and  never  before  have  EU  security  interests  been  so  intertwined  with  the  African 
continent.  A  peaceful  and  secure  Africa  requires  strong  political  engagement  and  full  use  of  the 
AU’s  instruments  backed  with  sustainable  financial  means.  It  also  calls  for  increased  EU 
engagement, including at national level. 

The  peace  and  security  issues  and  challenges  to  be  addressed  were  mainly  raised  by  the  African 
experts working particularly for and on the AU and the G7 Africa directors. Good governance and 
the rule of law were perceived as necessary to address the triggers of conflict. Also, greater efforts 
should be made to improve understanding between Europe and Africa on the challenges to justice in 
Africa.  This  link  between  governance,  development  and  security  is  acknowledged  in  the  joint 
communication. 

On  the  African  Union  Peace  and  Security  Council  (AU  PSC),  the  African  experts  working 
particularly for and on the AU noted that there is still a lack of clarity on the issue of subsidiarity 
and  on  effective  application  of  that  principle, which  requires  decisions  to  be  taken  at the  level  of 
government closest to citizens, wherever possible. Participants correctly argued that availability — 
or  scarcity  —  of  resources  is  a  determining  factor.  Therefore,  the  current  efforts  led  by  Donald 
Kaberuka  to  raise  at  least  25 %  of  peace  support  operations  from  within  Africa  are  critical. 
However,  participants  agreed  that  supporting  African  initiatives,  African  institutions  and  African 
research does not necessarily mean spending extra money. Other kinds of non-monetary resources 
can be used to support African initiatives (e.g. diplomatic support). Sharing experience and lessons 
was  also  highlighted  as  an  opportunity  to  cooperate  beyond  financing.  The  EU  will  support  the 
implementation  of  the  AU/Kaberuka  plan  and  work  with  the  AU  and  the  United  Nations  (UN) 
towards longer-term financial sustainability options. While the subject of non-monetary resources is 
not touched upon directly in the joint communication, this is a valid point and is already included in 
AU-EU collaboration on peace and security. 

A  lack  of  political  will,  including  a  lack  of  AU  member  state  commitment  to  implementing  the 
mandate from the AU PSC, needs to be addressed according to African experts working particularly 
for and on the AU if effective application of the subsidiarity principle is to be ensured. Insufficient 
operational capacity — e.g. the regional economic communities (RECs) not having the capacity to 
play the operational role they are expected to play — was also mentioned, along with the view that 
the  AU  needed  to  support  the  RECs  in  capacity  building  by  looking  at  the  capabilities  needed  to 
implement the mandate and mobilise rapidly. Political legitimacy, including who has the authority 
to  intervene,  is  also  perceived  by  African  experts  working  particularly  for  and  on  the  AU  as 
hindering  effective  application  of  the  subsidiarity  principle.  At  times,  this  has  also  led  to  tension 

10 

 
 
between the AU and RECs. Furthermore, participants noted that some RECs are not the best ‘first 
responders’ due to vested political interests. The AU could provide an alternative in such situations. 

3.1.9. E-commerce and the digital economy 

Digitisation  is  covered  by  the  joint  communication  as  a  cross-cutting  issue  and  an  opportunity. 
During  consultations  with  think  tanks,  the  subject  of  e-commerce  and  the  digital  economy  was 
raised.  There  was  encouragement  to  give  specific  attention  to  developing  policies  and  laws  that 
serve to promote inclusion and access to the digital economy for African consumers and producers, 
without  undermining  legitimate  domestic  security  and  local  development  interests.  Given  the 
considerable prospects for benefiting from improved information and communications technology 
(ICT) and digitisation in Africa — while simultaneously not neglecting the challenges, particularly 
in terms of governance issues — this is reflected in the joint communication. Well-developed ICT 
and  a  digital  economy  are  seen  by  the  EU  as  enablers  of  a  stronger  investment  environment  — 
crucial for creating jobs and ensuring economic growth. 

4. CONCLUSION 

The results of the first stakeholder consultations have been informing the decision-making process, 
leading to possible amendments and additions to the joint communication Renewed impetus for the 
Africa-EU  partnership.  Stakeholders  have  mainly  presented  priorities  and  issues  that  the  EU  also 
supports and the highest level possible of inclusion of stakeholder views and suggestions in the joint 
communication has therefore been pursued and ensured. The consultations have shown a solid level 
of consistency, complementarity and synergy between the priorities, challenges and issues raised by 
both the different stakeholders and the EU, e.g. there has not been much divergence in terms of the 
topics to be covered or disagreement on what the main challenges and priorities should be. In this 
context, the Youth as central theme for the Summit has been widely welcomed for to its relevance 
and timeliness. This strengthens the validity of the points, thematics and deliverables presented in 
the joint communication. 

In  general,  stakeholders  have  broadly  agreed  on  how  to  address  challenges  within  the  different 
topics. While stakeholders’ suggestions may differ, e.g. on job creation or peace and security, they 
have  nonetheless  been  complementary  rather  than  cancelling  out  each  other.  A  few  points  and 
suggestions have not been reflected in the joint communication because they fall outside the scope 
and  objective  of  the  document;  however,  they  have  nonetheless  been  presented  in  this  document 
since they are relevant and deserve to be taken into account in preparations for the Summit. On a 
particular note, bearing in mind that climate change remains one of the most pressing threats to the 
achievement  of  sustainable  development  globally,  surprisingly  few  stakeholders  raised  or 
elaborated on this significant issue. The same goes for digitisation, which is addressed in the joint 
communication  as  a  cross-cutting  issue,  spanning  from  governance  to  peace  and  security  to  job 
creation  and  advancing  skills  and  knowledge.  Given  the  global  challenges,  opportunities  for  joint 
alliances  and  developments  in  Africa  on  these  two  issues,  it  would  have  been  valuable  to  have 
received  further  input  and  contributions  on  these  particular  thematics.  Finally,  more  input  and 
perspectives could also be relevant and beneficial on renewable energy. 

While  civil  society  organisations  and  youth  organisations,  particularly,  have  been  consulted 
extensively  in  this  round  —  and  will  naturally  continue  to  be  so  throughout  the  preparations  — 
business  and  the  private  sector  could  have  been  consulted  further  during  this  initial  stage  of 

11 

 
 
preparations  for  the  Summit.  Nevertheless,  this  stakeholder  group  is  planned  to  be  increasingly 
included at the next  stages of preparations. While some youth  organisations have  been consulted, 
this outreach could have been expanded to include young people who are harder to reach and are 
not  usually  consulted  in  such  processes,  but  who  are  most  affected  by  the  challenges  and  issues 
raised in the consultations and included in the joint communication. Nonetheless, this lack will also 
be  made  up  for  during  the  preparations  for  the  Summit,  where  broad  inclusion  of  young  people 
from both sides — both Africa and Europe — is envisaged. 

This consultation round has — as intended — provided a first contribution of valuable and useful 
points  of  views,  opinions  and  perspectives  from  a  wide  range  of  key  stakeholders  for  setting 
priorities  for  the  future  Africa-EU  partnership  and  the  Summit.  As  additional  comprehensive 
consultations  will  take  place  throughout  the  2017  preparations  for  the  Summit,  the  set  list  of 
priorities  for  both  the  Summit  itself  and  the  Africa-EU  partnership  in  the  years  to  come  will  be 
further developed; echoing the priorities and positions of all the relevant stakeholders and ensuring 
a high level of commitment and ownership. 

12 

 
 
 
 
Annex I — List of main consultation events 

DATE 

EVENT 

1. 

28 September 
2016 

2. 

3-4 October 
2016 

27 October 
2016 

27 October 
2016 – 24 
February 2017 

Interactive meeting hosted by the European Centre for Development Policy 
Management (ECDPM), the Knowledge Platform on Security and Rule of 
Law  (KPSRL)  and  the  Permanent  Representation  of  the  Kingdom  of  the 
Netherlands to the African Union: ‘Why do we need the African Union?’. 
The  event  brought  together  more  than  60  participants,  including  African 
experts working for and on the African Union. 

Regional  Policy  Forum  on  Development  in  Africa  in  Dakar,  Senegal.  It 
brought  together  74  representatives  from  civil  society  organisations 
(CSOs), associations of local authorities, the private sector, representatives 
from the European Commission, etc. 

Meeting with all African ambassadors accredited to the EU in Brussels. 

Review  of  the  joint  Africa-EU  strategy  involving  (besides  EU  institution 
stakeholders)  both  European  and  African  Union  Member  States,  CSOs, 
businesses and the private sector, the African diaspora, the African Union, 
and youth organisations such as the Pan-African Youth Union. One-on-one 
phone  interviews  and  general  interviews  conducted  in  the  period  from 
October to February from Brussels and Addis Ababa.  

15-17 
November 2016 

Meetings with CSOs working e.g. on youth promotion and child protection 
and  representatives  from  the  Euro  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  Abidjan  in 
relation to preparations for the Africa-EU summit. 

1 December 
2016 

EU’s  NGO  Human  Rights  Forum  2016.  It  brought  together  civil  society 
organisations to discuss the Africa-EU Summit. 

12 December 
2016 

Foreign  Affairs  Council  (FAC)  Africa-EU  discussion,  including  on  the 
priorities  in  the  relations  of  the  EU  with  Africa  and  how  those  relations 
should evolve in the light of emerging challenges. 

9 January 2017  AU and EU Civil Society Seminar on Democratic Governance and Human 
Rights, including an exchange on the Africa-EU Summit. 

10 January 
2017 

12th AU-EU Human Rights Dialogue.  

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

10.  13 January 
2017 

11.  20 January 
2017 

12.  27 January 
2017 

Launch of a request for feedback for the joint  communication  A Renewed 
impetus for the Africa-EU partnership: towards the fifth Africa-EU Summit. 
Two contributions so far. 

Joint  Africa-EU  strategy  CSO  Steering  Group.  CSOs  and  youth 
organisations discussing Summit preparations. 

Joint Summit exchange with the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences 
of  the  European  Community  (COMECE)  and  the  Justice  &  Peace  Europe 

13 

 
 
 
Commission. 

13.  1-3 February 
2017 

T20  Africa  Conference:  ‘Africa  and  the  G20:  Building  alliances  for 
sustainable  development’.  T20  Africa  conference1  brought  together  think 
tanks from across Africa and T20 Think Tanks.  

14.  20-23 February  Seminar  on  Governance,  Democracy  and  Rule  of  Law  as  part  of  the  EU-
Africa  Summit  in  Vienna  organised  by  the  Kreisky  Foundation  to  discuss 
whether  Europe  and  Africa  share  common  values  and  to  which  extent 
values  are  still  part  of  the  EU’s  foreign  policy.  Participation  varied  from 
African  experts,  consultants,  journalists,  think  tanks  and  ECOWAS 
representatives. 

15.  27-28 February 

2017 

G7  Africa  directors  meeting  in  Rome,  touching  upon  specific  areas  of 
attention in relation to consultations and partnership with Africa. 

16.  8-10 March 
2017 

Consultations with the AU Commissioner, AUC departments and 
representatives of AU member states in Addis Ababa.  

17.  16 March 2017  Consultations with UN departments in the context of the EU-UN Steering 

Committee on Crisis Management in New York. 

18.  17 March 2017  Political High Level Consultations with the new AUC leadership during the 
visit  of  HRVP  Federica  Mogherini  and  Commissioner  Neven  Mimica  in 
Addis Ababa. 

19.  4 April 2017 

for  Security  Studies 

EU-Africa  Strategic  Dialogue  in  Rabat  organised  by  the  European  Union 
the  OCP  Policy 
Institute 
Centre (Moroccan  Think  Tank)  as  part  of  the  African  Futures  project.  30 
representatives from 30 different countries (African and European) from 40 
international institutions/organisations.  

(EUISS) 

and 

Annex II — Stakeholder suggestions not taken on board 

Suggestion 

Sector the position came 
from  

Reason why it was not taken on 
board 

Aflatoxins should be one of the focal 
points  and  priority  areas  of 
the 
renewed  Africa-EU  partnership  due 
to  their  widespread  effects  on  not 
only  food  safety,  food  security  and 
health, but also agriculture, trade and 
overall 
human 
development.  

economic 

and 

Civil society organisation 

Giving aflatoxins so much attention 
as  a  single  priority  area  is  not 
considered  pertinent  given 
the 
broad  and  comprehensive  focus  of 
the  Africa-EU 
the  Summit  on 
partnership.  This  topic  should  be 
left 
to  more  appropriate/suitable 
technical fora. 

1 http://www.ats.co.za/saiia15/emailexcelfiles/FINALT20Africa.pdf 
14