Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Development (DEVE) adopted almost unanimously (20 votes in favour, 2 against, 3 abstentions), on the evening of Wednesday 27 January, the own-initiative report setting out their vision for a strengthened strategic partnership between the EU and Africa - a partnership of equals and focused on human development, to effectively address today’s common challenges.
The vote on the very numerous compromise amendments augured well for this outcome, to the great satisfaction of the rapporteur, Chrysoula Zacharopoulou(Renew Europe, France), who wanted to go beyond the five partnerships proposed in March by the Commission in its EU strategy with Africa (green transition and access to energy; digital transformation; sustainable growth and jobs; migration and mobility) to focus on the human factor, with an emphasis on post-Covid-19 reconstruction (see EUROPE 12645/16).
Two members of the ID Group voted against.
The text is broadly structured and takes “a holistic approach, which will be able to create the conditions for an equal partnership fostering progress and sustainable development on both continents”, said Carlos Zorrinho, shadow rapporteur for the S&D Group.
For MEPs, the future partnership should prioritise education, including teacher training and reducing early school dropout, and focus on the inclusion of girls. It should also aim to improve health care and strengthen national health systems.
But it also advocates: - long-term financial and technical support to African countries to stimulate climate adaptation; - EU support for African regional integration to help reduce dependence on foreign imports and the creation of a continental free trade area; - the protection of sexual and reproductive rights in the future partnership; - more IMF and World Bank efforts to relieve African debt; - an EU/Africa partnership on migration and mobility that gives priority to the human dignity of refugees and migrants; - support for sustainable agriculture.
In addition, MEPs stress the importance of parliamentary diplomacy and the role of parliamentary assemblies such as the ACP/EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Pan-African Parliament in the EU/Africa dialogue. They also stress the role to be played by the European Parliament in monitoring and supervising the implementation of the future partnership.
This report is the contribution of the European Parliament’s Committee on Development to the preparatory debate for the European Union-African Union summit, postponed last year due to Covid-19, but which is expected, at a date yet to be decided, to adopt a common strategy for a renewed strategic partnership this year.
The European Parliament will in turn vote at its March plenary session. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)