20/02/2018 (Agence Europe) – Addressing EU farm ministers on Monday 19 February, European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan announced the launch of a task force for rural Africa. The group of experts will assist the Commission in strengthening the EU/Africa partnership for agriculture and food. The initiative must contribute to implementation of objectives fixed during the informal European summit in Valletta early in 2017 on combating the root causes of migration (see EUROPE 11718). A call for applications for selection as members of the task force will soon be published and around a dozen independent experts will be appointed after Easter. By January 2019, they will prepare a report and recommendations on how to strengthen the EU-Africa partnership.