Brussels, 28/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - The first twelve pan-African development projects with European Union funding of €107.2 million in total are about to be launched, the Commission announced on Thursday 27 November. The Commission has approved these twelve projects under its new PanAfrican programme - an innovation of the EU-Africa strategic partnership that was announced in April of this year to enhance development and so foster continental integration.
The projects will focus mainly on improving the dialogue between Africa and the EU on migration and mobility, reinforcing the role that diaspora organisations play in supporting development in Africa (€17.5 million); support to research collaboration and innovation through research grants to the African Union (€10 million); pan-African statistics (€10 million); support for the development of efficient, safe and sustainable transport networks (€20 million for Africa Connect 2, €8 million to support the 2014-2018 Africa transport programme and €6 million for the EU-Africa infrastructure support programme); support for the African Union to increase its capacity in election observation (€6.5 million).
These first projects “are evidence of the EU's strong determination to strengthen and deepen our strategic partnership with Africa”, stated International Cooperation and Development Commissioner Neven Mimica.
The EU's very first pan-African development programme, worth €845 million for the period from 2014 to 2020, was announced at the fourth EU-Africa summit in Brussels in April. It is a key instrument which will allow the European Commission to implement the joint political priorities identified by the EU and Africa in the roadmap adopted by the heads of state and/or government. The roadmap sets five priority goals for the period 2014-2017: peace and security; democracy, good governance and human rights; human development; sustainable and inclusive development and growth and continental integration; global and emerging issues, such as tackling climate change. (AN)