Strengthening the partnership between the EU and Africa and the future priorities of development policy were the focus of the informal meeting of European development ministers called by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in Brussels on Thursday 16 March.
Mogherini and International Cooperation and Development Commissioner Neven Mimica were able to set out for Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, in Addis Ababa on Friday 17 March, the priorities identified by the ministers in terms of preparations for the fifth EU-Africa summit in Abidjan with a view to injecting fresh impetus into the partnership.
For the EU, this means principally “strengthening our common work on many different fields: eradicating poverty, fighting climate change, working on development, on migration, on security, on peace, on so many things we do together”, Mogherini said. Investment in sustainable energy in Africa is one of the priorities of the European external investment plan endorsed by the ministers.
The European Consensus for Development, which will define the shared vision of Parliament, the Commission and the Council of the principles and priorities of development policy over the coming years, “is shaping up”, Mogherini said after the ministerial meeting.
The ministers also restated the importance they attach to achieving the universal sustainable development goals, the involvement of the private sector in development, tackling climate change, as well as the links between development and migration and between development and security – two key dimensions, they say.
“Consensus is there, so I expect that in the coming months, we will have this new basis for a new way of doing development from the European Union side. We are the first donor worldwide so whatever we decide in this field has an impact for the entire world and brings an added value in every single corner of our planet”, Mogherini stated.
The European Parliament passed a resolution in February calling for development policy to be adapted to the new challenges but without losing sight of its first and main purpose, which is eradicating poverty – not stopping refugees (see EUROPE 11725). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)