Brussels, 07/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - What participants at the S&D Group's African Week (5-11 April) at the European Parliament want (see EUROPE 11526) is a stronger, fairer and more contemporary EU-Africa partnership that is better adapted to new challenges.
The S&D Group decided “to make Africa its political priority” because, as S&D Group leader Gianni Pittella (Italy) said at a press conference in Brussels on Thursday 7 April, it considers that “Africa must quickly become one of the most important EU partners in terms of cooperation on the economic, cultural, development and security levels”. The press conference took place the day after the Africa in the Heart of a Globalised World conference-debate that was organised by the S&D Group at the European Parliament.
“It's only as the EU together that we can address the challenges of the refugee crisis, the fight against terrorism and climate change”, Pittella said, adding that “a stronger Africa-Europe partnership would be key in fighting terrorism and religious extremism”.
He unhesitatingly replied to an African journalist's written question on the impact that the resolutions adopted by the European Parliament would have, by saying: “The Parliament cannot impose sanctions, but when it speaks out against the shortcomings in human rights, minority rights and the rights of the political opposition it has moral authority because it represents 500 million citizens”. Taking the example of the Parliament's recent resolution condemning the repressive action of the Ethiopian government towards protesters, Pittella said: “it had considerable impact. I saw this when I visited Ethiopia recently with Cécile Kyenge (S&D, Italy). The citizens, the opposition and the government all spoke to us about it” (see EUROPE 11524).
Alongside Pittella, Marie Arena (S&D, Belgium) reiterated the determination of the S&D Group to trace conflict minerals fully through binding European legislation (see EUROPE 11526). “We want ethical trade and clean trade so as not to be complicit in crimes of blood”, she said, regretting that the Council of the EU has not yet taken a formal position. Arena added that there is just as much determination to obtain fair EU-Africa trade relations. “We are also working on the EPAs [Ed: economic partnership agreements]. We no longer want 20th century-model free trade agreements based on a dominant-dominated relationship, but agreements that ensure cultural diversity and that support the emergence of local business and not macro-business”. There is also the same determination for the post-Cotonou agreement (between the EU and the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific states), which will enter into force in four years' time. “We want a win-win relationship, and not a relationship in which Europe is the winner and Africa the loser, as happened in the past”.
During the conference-debate on Wednesday 6 April, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini thanked the S&D Group for “putting EU-Africa relations at the centre” of its work and thus “helping it” in its desire to “upgrade the relationship with Africa” in order “to build a true political partnership”. “It's clear that we face the same challenges, and we can only hope to manage these challenges if we develop common views, common instruments, approaches and policies” she said, adding that “the same challenges can be seen from a different perspective”. Taking the example of migration, Mogherini said she was aware that the issue immediately comes to mind in the EU as a priority challenge, “whilst our African partners think more about economic development, industrialisation, growth and climate change”. She also said that, unlike the EU, “each African country, taken individually, is at the same time a country of origin, of transit and of destination” for migrants.
Aissata Tall Sall, a Senegalese deputy-mayor and former minster, called for a partnership integrating new decentralised cooperation actors in a framework of globalisation, “but one which enables us to address global challenges like climate change, the economic and financial crisis, migration, the fight against illegal capital flows, which more often start from Africa rather than from Europe”. In her view, a coherent framework needs to be found “which will deal with Africa as a worthy partner and will integrate new actors - protest and rights movements which can contribute considerably to building new models. The EU must help Africa find endogenous models, through its own solutions. Women bear the destiny in Africa. They have a clear idea of the future. Europe can only be Africa's chosen partner - without resignation or fatalism”, she said.
Ugandan parliamentarian Nokrach William Wilson spoke of his desire “to clarify the relationship” between the EU and Africa so as to know what to do in the future. In his view, adopting a constructive approach in the EU-Africa relationship requires “defining what is meant by partnership, taking account of each other's advantages, conducting quality dialogue, consultation and transparency”. He underlined the need for “good practice and good procedures not to be imposed” on top of the need to implement the international conventions, particularly on trade, signed by African countries and to support Africans through sustainable development.
Summing up, Victor Bostinaru MEP (S&D, Romania) spoke of consensus on the following areas: - the EU and Africa have many points in common due to their geographical proximity and the standards and values they share; - terrorism, de-radicalisation, security, energy, infrastructure, connectivity are major challenges to be addressed jointly; - Europe must invest in Africa's development; - there is a need to make Africa autonomous and to empower it for a better functioning of the states; - investment should be made in good governance and in political parties, and there should be more and better investment in education and involvement with civil society; - the European Parliament has something to say (on conflict minerals and on implementing new trade and investment agreements, with a view to serving the interests of the people, not multinationals). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)