European Development Ministers agreed, on Tuesday 29 September, to take advantage of the postponement of the AU/EU summit to 2021 to prepare it well by intensifying contacts with African partners in order to achieve concrete results on the ground, according to a European source.
The videoconference, organised by the German EU Council Presidency provided them with the opportunity to do so (see EUROPE 12570/17).
Ministers stressed the need to support human development and not just priorities such as the ‘green’ agenda and digital transformation.
An important outcome could be a comprehensive investment package, linked to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stressed EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen in her opening remarks published on Tuesday evening.
Ministers also stressed the importance of joint programming of aid by Member States and the Commission and the forthcoming initiatives to be taken by ‘Team Europe’ (Member States, Commission and European Investment Bank) to make best use of the funds dedicated to Africa in the EU's global response to the Covid-19 pandemic, “nearly €7 billion excluding guarantees”.
Ms Urpilainen assured that the Commission services have begun work to identify possible ‘Team Europe’ initiatives, which could “have a real transformative impact” and are guided by the joint Commission/European External Action Service (EEAS) Communication on Europe's Strategy with Africa.
She suggested that Development Ministers, the EEAS and the Commission write co-signed letters “to our embassies and delegations in the partner countries to consolidate and strengthen Team Europe in the next programming phase”.
On the debt of the poorest countries that are particularly vulnerable to the impact of the pandemic, the Commissioner called for a discussion between Development and Finance Ministers to promote progress beyond the G20-Paris Club Debt Service Suspension Initiative. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)