EU-Africa
Joint Strategy
on Local &
Global Issues
The European
Union and Africa
have agreed
to forge a strategic
partnership
aimed at facing
common challenges
together, ranging
from climate
change to development,
energy, migration,
peace and security,
trade and regional
integration,
and good governance
human rights.
This Joint EU-Africa
Strategy was
launched at
the 2nd EU-Africa
Summit held
on 8 and 9 December
in Lisbon. The
strategy followed
negotiations
between the
EU and the African
Union (AU).
Based on a deeper
and broader
political dialogue,
Europe and Africa
now intend to
leave the archaic
and narrow minded
"donor-beneficiary
relationship"
behind and create
a partnership
between equals.
The Joint Strategy
is expected
to enable both
partners to
work increasingly
together on
global issues.
It will also
involve civil
society as well
as institutions.
Africa and the
EU will enhance
cooperation
in the context
of international
initiatives
to counter the
illicit trade
and to promote
the transparent
and equitable
management of
natural resources,
such as the
Kimberley certification
process, the
Forest Law Enforcement
Governance and
Trade (FLEGT)
and the Extractive
Industry Transparency
Initiative (EITI).
Africa and the
EU will also,
together, address
issues relating
to the fight
against corruption,
bribery, counterfeiting,
money-laundering,
tax-fraud, as
well as other
aspects of economic
governance.
In this context,
both sides will
take measures
to facilitate
the investigation
and return of
illegally acquired
assets, including
funds, to their
countries of
origin.
On all these
issues, Africa
and the EU recognise
that civil society,
the media and
democratic institutions
have important
roles to play
in ensuring
transparency
and accountability.
The improvement
of economic
governance and
the investment
climate are
essential elements
to build Africa's
economic strength
and allow Africa
to move away
from continuous
donor support
and find its
place in global
markets. In
this regard,
the development
of domestic
markets and
regional integration
are key in creating
larger and more
integrated markets
that, in conjunction
with enhanced
regulatory convergence,
will help to
attract investment,
increase productive
capacities and
therefore foster
sustainable
economic growth
and development.
One of the priorities
of the Africa-EU
partnership
will be to help
Africa improve
its productive
capacities,
move up the
value-added
scale and become
less dependent
on raw materials
and simple processed
products, which
in the long
term is the
best way to
avoid a deterioration
of the terms
of trade and
participate
in, and benefit
from, the global
economy. Africa
and the EU will
also, together
with other international
partners, work
to promote fair
trade. In order
to achieve this,
the key goals
which will be
pursued by Africa-EU
cooperation
on trade and
regional integration
will be: (i)
private sector
development,
supported by
foreign investments,
to strengthen
the supply side
of African economies;
(ii) the development
and strengthening
of physical
infrastructure
networks and
related services,
which are needed
for the movement
of persons,
goods, information;
and (iii) trade
integration,
which is essential
to increase
both South-South
and North- South
trade flows.
Private Sector
Development
The promotion
of an investment
and business
friendly environment
is a core prerequisite
for the development
of the private
sector, within
the framework
of a stable
political environment
and governance-related
reform. These
efforts should
be underpinned
by appropriate
African economic
growth strategies
aiming at maintaining
macroeconomic
stability, promoting
regulatory reform
and harmonisation,
protecting intellectual
property rights
and standards,
promoting investment
codes, and establishing
credible laws
and guarantee
systems. In
this context,
it will also
be necessary
to address key
investment disincentives
such as fraud,
corruption,
money laundering
and organised
crime.
Cooperation
between Africa
and the EU in
this field will
aim to promote
stable, efficient
and harmonised
legal frameworks
for business,
free of red
tape, as well
as to promote
Corporate Social
Responsibility.
Both sides will
cooperate on
technology development
and transfer,
quality infrastructure
and skills development
in support of
the industrialisation
process. It
will also aim
at enhancing
appropriate
business support
services, and
facilitate better
access to credit,
especially for
converting activities
from the informal
to formal sectors,
which is also
a key contribution
to enabling
more women to
participate
in the formal
economy and
to facilitating
investment and
business activities
by members of
diasporas.
The partnership
will, furthermore,
contribute to
the facilitation
and strengthening
of the dialogue
between, and
within, governments
and with the
private sector
on both continents
via appropriate
continental
and regional
networks. In
this regard,
the EU Africa
Business Forum
will play a
key role in
bringing together
entrepreneurs
and public and
private investors
from both Europe
and Africa in
order to discuss
ways of improving
the investment
and business
climate and
to raise the
profile of doing
business in
Africa.
Trade &
Integration
In line with
the Abuja Treaty,
establishing
the African
Economic Community,
trade and integration
are recognised
as essential
components of
the wider process
of regional
integration
and development,
which shall
be duly promoted
by the present
partnership.
Regional Economic
Communities
will play an
essential role
as building
blocks of the
continental
integration
process. In
order to do
so, Africa and
the EU will
work together
to make trade
rules and regimes
more coherent
and harmonised.
This will require
the gradual
harmonisation
of trade, customs
and industrial
policies, laws,
regulations
and procedures.
Africa and the
EU will cooperate
to put in place
programmes and
mechanisms to
develop norms,
standards and
quality control
at regional
and pan-African
levels with
reference to
international
standards.
Africa and the
EU will enhance
cooperation
in the context
of international
initiatives
to counter the
illicit trade
and to promote
the transparent
and equitable
management of
natural resources,
such as the
Kimberley certification
process, the
Forest Law Enforcement
Governance and
Trade (FLEGT)
and the Extractive
Industry Transparency
Initiative (EITI).
Africa and the
EU will also,
together, address
issues relating
to the fight
against corruption,
bribery, counterfeiting,
money-laundering,
tax-fraud, as
well as other
aspects of economic
governance.
In this context,
both sides will
take measures
to facilitate
the investigation
and return of
illegally acquired
assets, including
funds, to their
countries of
origin.
On all these
issues, Africa
and the EU recognise
that civil society,
the media and
democratic institutions
have important
roles to play
in ensuring
transparency
and accountability.
One key area
will be regulations
and technical
standards, including
sanitary and
phytosanitary
(SPS) measures.
It is widely
recognised that
meeting international
SPS standards
is a key component
for advancing
the competitiveness
and market access
of
African agriculture
and food processing
industry. Improving
African standards
will therefore
enable greater
access to international
markets, the
promotion of
South-South
trade and the
diminution of
non-tariff barriers
to trade. Both
sides will continue
to promote market
access for African
goods and services
to international
markets, in
particular the
EU market. Another
key area will
be enhancing
pharmaceutical
production capacities
in accordance
with international
rules on good
manufacturing
practices (GMPs)
and efficient
regulatory procedures,
including the
control of counterfeit
medicines and
of other products,
while promoting
access to affordable
essential generic
medicines, vaccines
and commodities
for major prevailing
diseases and
epidemics. In
this regard,
the capacity
of African countries
to make full
use of flexibilities
in TRIPs, in
line with the
Pharmaceutical
Manufacturing
Plan for Africa,
will be developed.
A third key
area will be
preferential
market access
for environmentally
friendly technologies
and products.
Africa-EU cooperation
will be underpinned
by stronger
bilateral development-oriented
trading relationships
between Africa
and the EU:
(i) through
the implementation
of Economic
Partnership
Agreements (EPAs)
with African
EPA regions
(West Africa,
Central Africa,
Eastern and
Southern Africa
and the Southern
African grouping),
which involve
the RECs and
other African
organisations,
and the implementation
of the EU-Mediterranean
Free Trade Agreement
with the countries
of North Africa,
(ii) by supporting
African business
in its efforts
to meet EU norms
and standards
and to develop
its productive
capacity , and
(iii) by cooperating
in developing
export strategies
and business-to-business
relations. The
EPA-agreements,
as instruments
for development,
are to be implemented
at the sub-regional
level, however,
the AU-EU dialogue
is relevant
to the overall
process of regional
integration
and interface
with developing
Regional Economic
Communities.
Both sides stress
the need for
the EPA process
to be supportive
of Africa's
regional and
continental
integration
agenda on the
basis of the
Abuja Treaty.
The above efforts,
in particular
the EPA implementation
process, as
well as more
general efforts
to better integrate
into the rules-based
world trading
system and to
more effectively
use trade in
the promotion
of growth and
the eradication
of poverty,
will be supported
by the Community
(EDF and other
instruments)
and EU Member
States in accordance
with the EU
Aid for Trade
Strategy, as
well as by contributions
from other development
actors. In coherence
with the efforts
to further integrate
at sub-regional
level, efforts
to better integrate
at continental
level will also
be supported.
At the global
level, Africa
and the EU will
seek to promote
global economic
governance,
and sustain
Africa's efforts
to integrate
into the world
economy. To
achieve this,
the coordination
of African and
EU positions
in international
fora will be
promoted. Africa
and the EU will
seek to join
efforts to conclude
the Doha Development
Agenda as soon
as possible.
This could involve,
in particular,
seeking common
ground to address
key issues for
development,
such as reductions
in trade distorting
subsidies, greater
access to the
markets of all
WTO members,
reductions in
tariff peaks,
better anti-dumping
rules, as well
as the implementation
of reforms in
view of facilitating
trade and ensuring
the security
of the supply
chain. In this
context, Africa
and the EU will
cooperate to
build technical
and institutional
capacity for
negotiations
in trade and
related areas,
such as quality
and food safety,
industrial goods,
TBT/SPS and
commodities
issues in order
to promote African
trade and safeguard
the health and
rights of consumers.
Finally, Africa
and the EU will
strengthen their
cooperation
in the field
of statistics
with the aim
of helping policy
makers and other
users of statistics
and ongoing
efforts in the
coordination
and harmonisation
of statistics
in Africa within
the framework
of the African
Charter for
Statistics.
The regional
economic communities
(RECs) and other
organisations
involved in
the EPA negotiations
are: ECOWAS,
UEMOA, ECCAS,
CEMAC, COMESA,
SADC, SACU,
EAS, EAC and
IOC.
Accelerating
Progress towards
the MDGs
For the Millennium
Development
Goals (MDGs)
to be achieved,
African countries
need to sustain
economic growth
and equitable
social development,
and both Africa
and the EU have
to boost their
investments,
better focus
their policies
and deliver
on the promises
made. Mid-way
between 2000
and 2015, supporting
Africa's efforts
to achieve the
MDGs remains
the key challenge
for the EU's
external and
development
cooperation
policy vis-à-vis
the continent.
In this regard,
efforts should
focus on making
a key contribution
to the achievement
of the 8 MDGs
on (1) poverty
and hunger,
(2) universal
primary education,
(3) gender equality
and empowerment
of women, (4)
child mortality,
(5) maternal
health, (6)
HIV/AIDS, malaria
and other diseases,
(7) environmental
sustainability,
and (8) the
development
of a partnership
for development.
Development
Cooperation
In order to
achieve the
objectives set
out in the present
Joint Strategy,
partners should
urgently work
on more predictable
and less volatile
aid, focusing
on results.
The EU therefore
reaffirms its
determination
to reach the
targets agreed
in the context
of the Monterrey
consensus in
May 2005 to
increasing ODA
volume to individually
achieve 0.51%
ODA/GNI for
those Member
States which
joined the EU
before 2002;
to strive to
achieve 0.17%
for those Member
States which
joined the EU
after 2002 within
their respective
budget allocation
processes, and
collectively
achieve 0.56%
ODA/GNI by 2010
as an intermediate
step towards
achieving the
UN target of
0.7% by 2015.
By 2010, attaining
the 0.56% ODA/GNI
should correspond
to at least
an additional
€20 billion
in ODA per year,
and no less
than 50% of
this increase
will benefit
the African
continent.
The EU will
respect and
implement these
commitments
and will take
appropriate
measures to
guarantee a
timely delivery
of aid commitments
towards Africa.
Partners will
also make further
efforts to keep
debt at sustainable
levels and,
where debt becomes
unsustainable,
consider debt
cancellation
in the framework
of existing
initiatives
and fora.
Africa and the
EU will also
strengthen their
cooperation
in the implementation
of the Paris
Declaration
on aid effectiveness.
They will further
promote alignment
and harmonisation
of development
aid instruments,
increase the
use of general
and sectoral
budget support
where circumstances
permit, and
cooperate closely
to implement
the EU's commitments
to promote complementarity
and division
of labour.
The predictability
of development
aid should be
promoted and
the EU will
work toward
a limitation
of conditionalities
and further
move towards
result-oriented
aid, with a
clear link with
MDG indicators
and performance.
In this context,
Africa and the
EU will also
improve and
expand their
cooperation
in the field
of statistics
so that policies
and decisions
are made on
the basis of
clear evidence.
Moreover, the
two sides fully
recognise that
development
cooperation
alone is not
enough to achieve
these objectives
and that non-aid
policies on
both sides need
to be better
geared towards
attaining the
MDGs, including
by enhancing
Policy Coherence
for Development
(PCD). To this
end, the EU
and the AU will
discuss how
the coherence
between policies
and initiatives
with development
objectives could
be enhanced,
on the basis
of stronger
commitments
on both sides.
In order to
ensure coherence
and complementarity
with the work
of other international
actors, including
emerging partners,
Africa and the
EU recognise
the need to
broaden their
cooperation
with third partners
through enhanced
tripartite dialogue.
Similarly, both
parties recognise
the importance
of triangular
cooperation
for the development
of the two continents.
Human &
Social Development
Employment issues,
notably social
protection,
the shortage
of employment
opportunities
and the promotion
of decent work
in Africa, will
be jointly addressed,
with priority
being given
to creating
productive jobs
in the formal
economy, improving
poor living
and working
conditions in
line with the
UN decent work
agenda and integrating
the informal
economy into
the formal.
Investments
in private sector
development
will be promoted,
looking in particular
to youth and
women.
The service
sector will
be further developed
as this is where
women and youth
are mostly involved.
Africa and the
EU will make
technology work
for employment,
and will ensure
that infrastructure
works to create
jobs for Africans,
both skilled
and unskilled.
In addition,
attention will
be paid to the
creation of
jobs through
micro-finance
schemes. As
generally disadvantaged
groups often
benefit substantially
from such microfinance
schemes they
should be actively
pursued.
