With the Communication ‘Towards a comprehensive EU Strategy with Africa’, presented on Monday 9 March, the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) have formalised a first step towards intensifying and modernising the 2007 EU-Africa Strategic Partnership, so that the two continents can better respond together to today’s challenges.
These challenges are reflected in the five stated partnerships: – the green transition; – the digital transformation; – sustainable growth and jobs; – peace and governance; – migration and mobility (see EUROPE 12439/12). These priorities should lead to common priorities of the African Union and the EU, as agreed between Africans and Europeans in Addis Ababa (see EUROPE 12435/2).
“To meet our common challenges, we need a strong Africa, just as Africa needs a strong Europe [...]. We need to make our partnership visible and concrete for African and for European citizens alike”, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Commission Vice-President Josep Borrell told the press.
The EU is already Africa’s leading partner in trade, investment, development, cooperation and security, he recalled. The aim, he said, was “to improve this partnership, to make it more effective” for the benefit of two closely linked and interdependent continents.
“Of course, we have geopolitical interests in Africa. Our growth and security depend on what happens in Africa, perhaps more than in any other part of the world, especially in achieving our climate goals and managing migration.
Africa, for its part, “is counting on our support for its objectives in the areas of sustainable development, digitisation, climate change, governance, peace and security”, he stressed. According to him, “This is really the most important international partnership we will have to work on".
No complexes towards China, on the contrary. Asked by the press about the EU’s place in view of the growing role played by other countries in Africa, notably China, in terms of investment, but also in peace and security operations, Mr Borrell recalled that the EU’s presence was much greater than China’s and that the EU did not think in terms of “competition”.
“Europe invests much more than China. Our direct investments are €230 billion. China’s are €38 billion. A ratio of one to eight. The United States invests €42 billion, we invest five times as much. The same applies to trade relations. We don’t have an inferiority complex. We are present and will continue to be present. Our presence is accompanied by investment, but also by political, economic and cultural development”, Mr Borrell replied. Recalling the historical and cultural links between the EU and Africa, he spoke of a “partnership for shared progress”, saying he was “not sure that this is the case for China”.
He went on to say, “Maybe we’re not doing enough to show what we’re doing. China is more visible, but we cannot say that China is more present”.
At his side, the Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, added that the presence of China, India and the United States made a renewed EU strategy with Africa all the more relevant. It will be based on a tangible approach that will bring concrete results on the priorities established at the 2017 AU/EU Summit in Abidjan and on the priorities of the “new Geostrategic Commission”, including “developing the potential of the Green Deal and digital transformation for the benefit of both continents”, she said.
The Commissioner stressed that this is only a “first step” in a process based on consultation with African partners to “understand what is important to everyone in our two continents”. He went on to say, “My priority now is to ensure that young people and women take ownership of the strategy with Africa, as long as it meets their aspirations”.
The period until the AU/EU Summit in Brussels in October 2020 will be used for this purpose.
Communication is “our contribution to the future of Africa, to our common future”, a future that will give pride of place to the defence of multilateralism and will focus on youth.
This future strategy is “the roadmap that will enable us to move forward and move our partnership up a gear to build together a more prosperous, peaceful and sustainable future for all”, according to Ursula von der Leyen, quoted in a statement.
Ten actions to give substance to the strategic ambition: Commission and EEAS propose to: 1) maximise the benefits of the green transition and minimise threats to the environment in strict compliance with the Paris Climate Agreement; 2) stimulate the continent’s digital transformation; 3) significantly increase sustainable investment, promote investment opportunities by enhancing the use of innovative financing mechanisms and stimulate regional and continental economic integration, particularly by means of the agreement on the African Continental Free Trade Area; 4) attract investors by assisting African states to adopt policies and regulatory reforms that improve the business and investment climate, including a level playing field for business; 5) rapidly improve learning, knowledge and skills; research and development capacities, especially among women and young people; protecting and improving social rights and eradicating child labour; 6) adapt and deepen EU support to Africa’s peace efforts through a more structured and strategic form of cooperation, with a stronger focus on regions where vulnerabilities are greatest; 7) mainstream good governance, democracy, human rights, the rule of law and equality between men and women in actions and cooperation; 8) ensure resilience by linking interventions – whether these are humanitarian, development, peace or security; 9) implement balanced, coherent and global partnerships in the area of migration and mobility; 10) strengthen the rules-based, international order and the multilateral system centred on the United Nations.
First reactions. The communication has been rather well received. “We are happy to see that the Strategy, put forward today by the EU Commission, dedicates a major role to fight the root causes of slow economic progress, poverty, undemocratic practices and threats to the rule of law, gender exclusion, unfair trade, unequal access to quality education for youth and indiscriminate exploitation of the land and raw minerals”, welcomed the President of the S&D group in Parliament, Iratxe Garcia Pérez.
The ECR group, whose 2nd summit on Africa on 4 March was postponed due to COVID-19, welcomed this proposal. “We are firm believers in liberal markets, trade, entrepreneurship and freedom of opportunity as the best means for lifting individuals and communities out of poverty. We will always believe that engagement through well-targeted investment, training and trade are a far better and longer-lasting benefit to developing countries than self-perpetuating programmes of International Aid and Big Charity”, commented the group’s co-chair, Rafaelle Fitto (Italy). It calls for the EU to propose a sustainable approach to address the refugee crisis between Europe and Africa.
However, for the Greens/EFA group, the proposed strategy is a continuation of the previous strategy without making any substantial improvements. Frenchwoman Michèle Rivasi welcomes the fact that the strategy places greater emphasis on the importance of the transition to a low-carbon economy, digitisation and solidarity in the field of migration, but regrets that, at the same time, "the Commission is perpetuating a ‘business as usual’ strategy and is promoting trade relations that primarily benefit large Western companies” and “has not taken this opportunity to balance the rights of the private sector with social and environmental duties”.
The NGO ONE, which campaigns against extreme poverty, welcomes “bold ideas”, including digital transformation and the alignment of EU and African positions in multilateral fora, but is counting on “concrete plans and resources” to make the ambition a reality. Emilie Wigens, director of the NGO, considers it crucial “to see the voices of both European and African youth meaningfully integrated into the decision-making process”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)