EU-Africa Partnership on Infrastructure
Creating & Sustaining Regional
Networks & Services

Following is the Joint Declaration of the African Union Commission and the European Commission on the launch of the EU-Africa Partnership on Infrastructure in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on 24 October 2007.

Responding to the development goals and the strategic plans of the African Union and its New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and in particular the Short Term Action Plan (STAP) and the Medium to Long Term Strategic Framework that complements the STAP and guides the systematic development of infrastructure in Africa.

Recalling the Joint Declaration signed between the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Alpha Omar Konare and the President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, in Addis Ababa on 2 October, 2006, which underlined the alliance between the European and African Unions Commissions and confirmed the establishment of an EU-Africa Partnership on Infrastructure and a large support programme of € 55 million to build the capacity in the development of AUC.

Welcoming the conclusions of the General Affairs and External Relations Council of the European Union adopted on 17 October 2006 which EMPHASISE the importance of infrastructure, the related services and the regulatory framework which contribute to sustainable economic growth, trade promotion, employment creation, continental and regional integration, food security and poverty reduction and INSIST that the improvement of infrastructure contribute to the achievement of the MDGs.

Noting that the Council of the European Union emphasized the importance of strategic sector dialogue between EU and Africa on Infrastructure policies and priorities and invited the European Commission, the European Member States and relevant other partners to establish adequate fora where they do not exist.

Affirming the relevance and the necessity to establish an EU-Africa Partnership on Infrastructure ("the Partnership") to support programmes that will facilitate Africa's interconnectivity and will encourage continental and regional integration;
Underlining that African ownership, sustainability, economic soundness and debt sustainability should be the core of the Partnership.

Stressing the importance of capacity building and the development of related services, markets and regulatory frameworks to sustain the benefits the investments deliver and to attribute the responsibility of partner countries and institutions to maintain them; and considering that special emphasis should be paid to good governance, accountability and anti-corruption issues.

Confirming that special attention should be given to the assessment of environmental and social measures in order to ensure sustainable and balanced growth.

Welcome the establishment of the Partnership on Infrastructure as a concrete step of the Joint-EU-Africa strategy and recall the benefits that imply the development of integrated regional markets.

Consider that the Partnership will contribute to increase regional trade and fuller integration of African countries into the multilateral trading system and that the Partnership should support the implementation of EPAs and help the countries to reap their benefits.

Confirm the Partnership's scope to focus on continental, trans-boundary, regional, and national infrastructure in transport, water and sanitation, energy and ICT sectors that secure interconnectivity across the continent and its different regions.

Encourage the public-private partnership contributing to the development of infrastructure and request proper coordination and cooperation among these actors.

Call on the EU Member States to scale up investment in infrastructure in the context of their commitment to raise their ODA to 0.56 percent of GNI by 2010, with half of the additional €20 billion a year going to Africa.

Advocate the Partnership members to work closely together with other stakeholders in the context of the UN MDG Africa Working Group on infrastructure.

Welcome the establishment of the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund supporting the Partnership activities as an additional instrument of the Joint-EU Africa strategy and the achievements of the Trust Fund in its first six months of operations, where € 97 million have been raised from European Community resources and individual contributions made by EU Member states and LOOK FORWARD for further long-term financial contributions;
Appreciate the involvement of European development financial institutions in the operation of the Infrastructure Trust Fund, for which the European Investment Bank and other institutions will made available more than € 250 million in the form of loans in the short term.

Call upon the EU and the AUC to take further measures to improve the coordination of their work in Africa and to strengthen the capacity to implement the Partnership, in particular through appropriate resources for the Partnership Steering Committee Secretariat.

Support the establishment of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership to strengthen the Africa EU dialogue on energy and energy security with the aim to scale up investment in energy infrastructure, including promotion of renewable energy and of energy efficiency and improvement of the management of energy resources in a sustainable and transparent manner.
Endorse the EUAfrica Partnership on Infrastructure.

For the African Union Commission, Dr. Bernard Zoba Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy

For the European Commission, Mr. Stefano Manservisi Director General for Development and Relations with ACP countries

The EU-Africa Infrastructure Partnership, itself a component of the wider EU Strategy for Africa, is provided with a Partnership Steering Committee (PSC) in order to offer policy guidance and orientate the Partnership activities in the pursuit of its overall objectives of improving infrastructure and related services in Africa and contributing to increased interconnectivity at continental and regional level, - to promote the ownership of all interested stakeholders, - to facilitate the coordination between stakeholders at national, regional and continental levels - to facilitate the coherence and consistency of the strategic plans/activities.

The number of members of the PSC is determined jointly by the European Commission and the African Union Commission in order to respect the criteria:
• ensure parity representation of the two sides
• grant appropriate representation of the main stakeholders present on each side
• ensure adequate operational capacity to comply with the basic PSC mandate
• allow for flexible and efficient operation of PSC.
Observers to the PSC meetings are allowed to participate. Their presence to PSC meetings should be agreed by the PSC members if duly justified and accepted because of their relevance to infrastructure development. They can include
• One representative of the Private Sector
• Other Observers proposed by PSC Members such as Specialised Institutions and Professional Organizations.
The mandate of the PSC is to foster ownership of all Partnership members, to guide the development and to assure the effective and efficient implementation of the Partnership programme.

Consequently the PSC is the body responsible for:
(a) issuing policy guidance and provide strategic orientation to the Partnership and its implementing instruments,
(b) serving as a forum for the exchange of information and coordination amongst its members as regards the needs of infrastructure, the related services and the regulatory frameworks as well as ensuring appropriate responses to the evolving priorities in Africa,
(c) facilitating complementarity between AU-NEPAD Infrastructure Programme, the National and Regional infrastructure programmes or other infrastructure initiatives/programmes,
(d) reviewing the Partnership's coherence and complementarity with other continental programmes and coordination with African initiatives,
(e) liaising with the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa and other international initiatives that support infrastructures,
(f) seeking to mobilise resources necessary to reach the Partnership goals,
(g) monitoring progress of operations implemented by the Partnership and report on past, ongoing and planned activities on the basis of the partnership annual report,
(h) approving and oversee the implementation of the Annual Work Programme of the Partnership Steering Committee,
(j) reviewing and approving the Partnership Annual Report
(i) providing advice to the Executive Committee of the Trust Fund, receiving regular summaries of Trust Fund activities and commenting on the Trust Fund Annual Report.
The Secretariat will support the Steering Committee and its functions will be elaborated on the basis of a Terms of Reference which, inter alia, may include the following tasks:
• Promote action, by facilitating dialogue and exchange of communication between Steering Committee members, partner governments and the other stakeholders on the common issues of infrastructure development and management.
• Raise awareness of problems and barriers to progress.
• Facilitate the sharing of information and dissemination of best practices, identifying gaps in knowledge.
• Identify and keep track of trends in infrastructure development and financing in Africa by sector, country and sub-region.
• Facilitate reporting on progress on regional project implementation, highlighting areas where donor support and action by partner governments is needed.
• Report on the support given by donors to the AU, NEPAD Secretariat, RECs and to the existing project preparation facilities, including NEPAD multi-donors PPF.
• Prepare the annual PSC work programme and other working documents for Steering Committee.
• Organize Steering Committee meetings, including production of the preparatory documents and the proceedings.
• Liaise with the EU Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund, exchange information on potential projects, disseminate to Steering Committee Members the Trust Fund reports and other documentation
• Prepare the annual report of the Steering Committee on the activities of EU Africa Partnership on Infrastructure
• Produce other dissemination documents, including electronic newsletters, as required.
• Establish and maintain an internet website with workspace for collaboration.
• Where appropriate, report on EU Africa Partnership on Infrastructure progress at selected infrastructure related fora.