Brussels, 11/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - Although peace and security in Africa took pride of place in the eighth meeting of the EU and African Union (AU) Commissions in Addis Ababa on 7 April (see EUROPE 11528), there was also room for discussions on sustainable development. Indeed, this is one of the five priorities of the 2014-17 roadmap that was adopted at the fourth EU-Africa summit in Brussels in 2014 on sustainable and inclusive development and growth and continental integration.
The EU and Africa expressed their determination in Addis Ababa to work jointly on solid agricultural and industrial growth for the African continent, as well as on the preservation of natural resources and the environment in accordance with the global objectives on sustainable development.
The African partners are more interested in economic development, industrialisation, growth and climate change than in the issue of migration that is so dear to the EU, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini acknowledged (see EUROPE 11527). The joint press release reflects these priorities.
Sustainable agriculture. The two sides reaffirmed their support for the goal of tripling intra-African trade in agricultural products by 2025 and of increasing the added value of exports to the EU, in line with the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
Sustainable industrialisation. The EU and AU underlined their support for the African initiative aimed at achieving accelerated and sustainable industrialisation so as to create decent jobs and eradicate poverty, with particular emphasis on the active role of young people and women in these processes.
Infrastructure. The two sides confirmed that the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) will continue to guide their strategic cooperation to find innovative solutions in order to facilitate and accelerate achievement of the 2016 Agenda. They identified a number of large Africa-wide infrastructure projects in the transport, energy, water and information technology sectors that should be able to benefit from large-scale investment.
Global issues. The AU and EU hailed the adoption of the AU's 2063 Agenda and of its ten-year implementation plan. They also hailed the Unite Nations programme on sustainable development. The implementation, financing, and follow-up of these two agendas will now be the subject of a regular dialogue between the two sides.
The AU and EU hailed the Paris Agreement on climate and they asked all the parties “to translate their promises into strong and sustainable national policies now”. They committed to supporting the implementation of contributions. They also reaffirmed their resolve to continue ongoing efforts to fight against land degradation and desertification, and to continue their joint efforts on monitoring the environment in Africa - especially through using the Earth Observation System to obtain environmental indicators.
Similarly, they agreed to cooperate on the fight against wildlife trafficking, the illegal exploitation and illegal trade of wildlife species and wild plants in Africa, and on implementing the African strategy to fight this scourge in Africa. The African partners received information about the action plan that the EU has just adopted to fight this environmental crime (see EUROPE 11500).
The work of the EU and AU Commissions mapped out the road for the next EU-Africa summit that will take place in Africa in 2017. This will be the fifth EU-Africa summit. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)