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Towards a Joint EU-AU Strategy

This presentation discusses the revival of the EU-Africa dialogue, the need for a joint EU-Africa strategy, shared vision and key thematic areas, diverging perspectives, opportunities and risks, and the process of developing the joint strategy.

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Towards a Joint EU-AU Strategy

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  1. Towards a Joint EU-AU Strategy Nordic Africa Days (NAI) Uppsala 26 April 2007 Geert Laporte ECDPM

  2. Structure of presentation • Context: Revival of EU-Africa dialogue • Why a joint EU-Africa Strategy? • Shared vision & Key Thematic areas • Diverging perspectives • Opportunities & Risks • Process of Joint Strategy • Conclusions

  3. Revival of EU-Africa Dialogue • Cairo Summit (2000) with OAU • Emergence of AU as political interlocutor • Brussels/ Addis dialogue: AUC-EC Dialogue • More regular EP-PAP exchanges • ….Lisbon Summit 2007?

  4. Fragmented framework of AU-EU relations • 3 EU-Africa Agreements • Cotonou Partnership – ACP Group • TDCA – South Africa • Euro-Mediterranean Partnership- European Neighbourhood Policy • EC funding mechanisms + mgt structure • National, regional & continental level • EU Member States policies on Africa

  5. Why a joint EU-Africa Strategy? • Adapt to new world context since 9/11 (security, migration, environment,…) • Deepening of democratisation and integration in Africa and EU • Emergence of Pan-African institutions • New players with strong interest in Africa (China, India, Arab World, Latin-America…) • Strengthening political dialogue • Need to make ‘joint’ strategy after ‘unilateral’ EU Strategy for Africa

  6. Shared Vision • Historic links and neigbourhood • Redefining common interests in changing context • Political partnership beyond aid requiring different dialogue and institutional mechanisms • Mutual accountability • Promote and cooperate in effective multilateral system

  7. Peace and Security • Sustained holistic approaches (crisis mgt, LT peace building, conflict prevention, governance,..) • Support to African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA- Peace Facility) • Capacity building in Africa to prevent and resolve conflicts

  8. Governance, democracy and human rights • Support AU Governance Agenda/ African grown initiatives (e.g APRM) • Discuss issues of economic governance- return of illegally aquired assets • Mutual accountability instead of double standards • Enforcement of mutual commitments

  9. Trade and regional integration • Trade = development oriented • Fully integrated pan-African market • Ensuring coherence between joint strategy and trade agreements (EPAs)?

  10. Key development issues • Health & Education for all • Migration • Debt cancellation • Sustainable development • Agriculture • Environment & climate change • Industrialisation, S&T • Cultural goods etc…

  11. Diverging perspectives Africa-Europe (policies) • Trade/EPAs coherent with panafrican integration? • Different ambitions: traditional economic development versus industrialisation, S&T, KM? • Migration-security-brain drain? • Addressing debt in strategy? • Pan-african enveloppe beyond EDF10? • Return cultural goods

  12. Diverging Perspectives Africa-Europe (process) • Radical shift in partnership culture • Real and effective joint dialogue, monitoring & implementation • Joint dialogue on types of funding & management of resources • Mutual accountability

  13. Opportunities • Openness to dialogue on all sensitive issues on equal footing • More balanced partnership because of strengthened bargaining power of Africa • New and stronger African institutions • Involvement civil society

  14. Risks • EU ‘Business as usual’? • Will EU treat Africa as one? • Coherence with existing partnership frameworks? • Reluctance EU member states? • Will strategy reach grassroots?

  15. Process of Joint Strategy • Institutional dialogue at Troika Commissions and Experts levels • Broad based public consultation process via internet and consultative meetings • http://europafrica.org, http://europafrique.org • ECDPM mandated by AU and EU to facilitate both processes

  16. Next steps in the Process • Drafting Outline by Experts Group (26-28 April) • Ministerial Troika (15 May) to decide on outline • Drafting Strategy & further consultation • Lisbon Summit (December 2007)

  17. Conclusions • First time that attempt is made for genuine and joint and inclusive process • Openness in pointing out issues of consensus and divergence • Will Joint Strategy fundamentally change EU-Africa relations beyond aid ? • Ensure delivery of commitments and put emphasis on monitoring and implementation mechanisms!

  18. Thank you for your attention… Geert Laporte gl@ecdpm.org For more information on ECDPM’s work on ACP-EU and AU-EU relations: www.ecdpm.org

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