Actions Say More than Words: Illustrations of the EU-AU Partnership

Jul 29 , 2023

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The EU's unwavering commitment to Africa is evident in various areas, from trade and investment to peace and security. With duty-free access for 33 least developed African countries and 90pc of African exports entering the EU duty-free, Europe remains Africa's prime trade partner. #EU/AUPartnership This article is authored by the European Union and its member states' Ambassadors accredited to the Africa Union (AU).

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Every day we are working to make the European Union (EU) - Africa Union (AU) partnership stronger and closer to the people of Africa and Europe. Our daily engagement testifies that the relationship between Europe and Africa is made of unparalleled human, cultural, geographical and economic links, not incantations, promises and affirmations.

At the sixth EU-AU Summit in February 2022, over 80 leaders from Africa and Europe met in Brussels to adopt an ambitious agenda and to sustain a partnership of peace, security, solidarity and prosperity based on equality, respect and mutual understanding. Europe and Africa need each other to build a solid and lasting response to global and common challenges, from climate change to peace and security or economic development that affect us all.

The partnership between the European Union and the African Union, rooted in dialogue and multilateralism, is solution-oriented and forward-looking. Europe and Africa are joint stakeholders in a multilateral, rules-based international system. The EU and its member states were among the first to express full support for the integration of the AU within the G20; the EU supports Africa in its ambitions to become a key global player.

Together, the AU and the EU can be pillars in defending a rules-based world, where sovereignty, territorial integrity and the right to self-determination are safeguarded. The European Union is deeply committed to the safety and prosperity of its neighbours, as it is also a condition for our own security and prosperity. We strive to be a reliable and predictable partner.

In times of rising global food insecurity, the EU stands by its commitment to facilitate the export of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine. We want to repeat that from day one, the EU has exempted food and agricultural inputs (including fertilisers) from its sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation.

Complementary to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the EU has set up the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes through which almost 61 million tonnes of cereals leave Ukraine by land. While it is often quoted that only a minor percentage of agricultural products exported from Ukraine has reached African consumers directly, the combined economic effects of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the Solidarity Lanes have resulted in a 23pc decrease in the price index for grain on the global market.

Looking beyond the immediate need to mitigate price volatility for foodstuff on the global market, the European Union will have mobilised next year almost seven billion Euro to improve food security in Africa; more than three billion euros has already been disbursed. This includes the EU’s contributions to the IMF’s Poverty Reduction & Growth Trust. Other initiatives, such as the Alliance on Sustainable Cocoa (EU, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana), are enhancing the resilience of food systems and the sustainability of agri-value chains.

As agreed at the EU-AU Summit, to strengthen quality infrastructure, nearly 150 billion euros of investments will be mobilised by 2027 in Africa as part of the “Global Gateway Investment” strategy. These investments are already taking place today, and the European Union is translating commitments made at the Summit into reality.

In Kenya, support is provided for the installation of fibre optics and the development of a rapid bus system in Nairobi. In Burkina Faso, the EU is the leading partner for rural and renewable electrification projects, notably the Yelen Project, which benefits 110,000 households. Investments in health (the Global Gateway flagship initiative MAV+ on manufacturing and access to vaccines with over one billion euros of investment in Rwanda, South Africa, Senegal, and Ghana) and digital (investment of up to 820 million euros in Nigeria’s digital transformation) are just two other examples.

The concrete and tangible results are here. They confirm the European Union as Africa's prime partner at all levels, on trade, investments and development. Europe has been and will remain a long-standing partner of Africa – the recent renewal of the agreement with African, Caribbean & Pacific countries, in existence since 1975, is just one more demonstration of our commitment.

On peace and security, notwithstanding multiple crises across the globe, the EU has sustained its support to the AU and African-led peace support operations. Again, this translates commitments made at the Summit into action. For the two years beginning in 2022, 600 million euros is being allocated to these missions through the European Peace Facility (EPF), complementing support under other development instruments.

An example is EU support for the African transition mission in Somalia (AMISOM/ATMIS), amounting to 2.7 billion euros since 2007. The 11 training and assistance missions on the continent are another testimony of the EU’s support to African partners’ peace and security objectives. Africa has been and will continue to remain a key area of operations with EPF support. The total Team Europe’s commitment to Conflict Prevention, Mediation, Peace & Security initiatives at national and regional levels is expected to amount to 1.5 billion euros from 2021 until 2027.

While others seek to divide, the EU, in its partnership with Africa, seeks to deliver and foster cooperation. The commitments made by some countries do not stand up to the test of time. Conversely, the EU and its member states have consistently invested in Africa and facilitated the duty-free access of African exports in the EU.

As a tangible sign of our willingness to engage in a partnership that concretely benefits Africa, 33 of the least developed African countries have benefitted from the most favourable customs regime, removing tariffs and quotas for all imports of goods – except arms and ammunition. As of today, the EU is by far the leading trade partner of the African continent, with a total volume of 268 billion euros in 2021; 90pc of African exports enter the European Union duty-free.

The EU is encouraged by the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It has been supporting it since the beginning, contributing, under a Team Europe approach, with expertise, institutional capacity and exchanges on lessons learned.

The EU has its share of responsibility for global warming and is investing heavily to curb emissions in Europe. It also stands by the side of the countries that are victims of or are suffering from the consequences of global warming and need support in their climate transition. We are supporting the AU’s Great Green Wall initiative for climate adaptation with 700 million euros. We are driving forces behind the decision to allocate 100 billion dollars in special drawing rights (or equivalent contributions) to the most vulnerable countries, particularly in Africa.

The Summit for a new global financial pact held in Paris at the end of June, to which 25 African heads of state participated along with both AU and EU leadership, effectively contributed to reaching that target and has paved the way to the next Africa Climate Summit to be held in Kenya in September. Thanks to the Common Framework of the G20 and the Paris Club, an agreement has been reached on the treatment of Zambia's debt, a historic step for this country and the Zambian people.

In all these developments, Europe is delivering.

The overall funding for development cooperation by Team Europe went up by almost 30pc in 2022 worldwide, with EU assistance to Africa increasing by 11pc for the period 2021–2027, when compared to 2014–2020. While we are working on the organisation of the next ministerial meeting between the African Union and the European Union, where we will take stock of our joint achievements to date, we wish to reaffirm our continued determination and commitment to strengthen our partnership in solidarity with Africa, with a view to contributing together to global peace, security and prosperity.

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PUBLISHED ON Jul 29,2023 [ VOL 24 , NO 1213]

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