The European Commission held an exchange of views on Wednesday 4 March on the future comprehensive EU strategy for Africa, which should strengthen and modernise the partnership between the EU and the African Union (AU) and enable the Europeans to remain Africa’s leading partners.
The communication detailing this strategy will be adopted later by written procedure and is expected to be presented next week by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
The draft communication, of which EUROPE has received a copy, broadly takes up what the Commission revealed during its exchange of views with the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa (see EUROPE 12435/2).
In view of the EU/AU Summit in October, it suggests a five-pronged partnership: - the transition to a low-carbon economy and access to energy; - the digitisation of exchanges; - the search for sustainable growth that creates jobs; - the promotion of peace and good governance; - the migration challenge and individual mobility.
On this last point, the communication project sees migration as both an opportunity and a challenge for both partners, bearing in mind that African migration flows take place mainly within the African continent itself. Sub-Saharan Africa hosts more than a quarter of the world’s refugees. However, attempts to reach the European continent continue to cause many deaths and to fuel human trafficking.
The text thus suggests an approach guided by “the principles of solidarity, partnership and shared responsibility, and respect for human rights and international law”. It pledges that the EU will continue to uphold its core values in this area, in particular for vulnerable people such as women and minors, notably through its refugee resettlement programme.
On the security front, the Commission considers that EU instruments and African capabilities should be further aligned. “There is a clear need to review and further strengthen our cooperation in a more strategic and appropriate way”, the draft communication acknowledges. The EU and Africa should also adapt the way they work together in fragile areas in order to have an impact on governance at the local level.
The Commission also proposes “more structured and strategic cooperation”, “with a particular focus on regions where tensions and vulnerabilities are highest”. Without going into detail, the text states that the EU intends to support the efforts of its African partners to increase their resilience and capabilities in terms of security and defence.
“The EU should adapt and deepen its support for African peace efforts with an emphasis on an integrated approach to conflicts and crises”, the 18-page document adds.
See the draft strategy: http://bit.ly/2xaKdsy (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion and Camille-Cerise Gessant)