Not a single obstacles stands in the way of the European Parliament’s adoption of a vision of the future EU/Africa strategy for a strengthened strategic partnership ‘For a sustainable and inclusive development’, focusing on human development.
The own-initiative report by Chrysoula Zacharopoulou (Renew Europe, France), which was adopted almost unanimously in the Committee on Development, is expected to be adopted unaltered when it is put to the vote at the plenary session on Wednesday 24 March in the evening (see EUROPE 12646/16).
No amendments were tabled, no separate vote was requested. Only the ID Group has tabled an alternative draft resolution that focuses on the fight against African immigration.
Parliament should therefore vote for a partnership that goes beyond the five partnerships proposed by the Commission.
The institution should insist that priority be given to education, including teacher training and reducing school drop-out, and focus on the inclusion of girls. The future partnership should also aim to improve health care and strengthen national health systems.
Parliament will also advocate: - 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.
The alternative resolution of the ID Group stresses that priority must be given to the fight against massive illegal immigration and challenges the fact that the envisaged strategy focuses to a large extent on the assertion of a multilateral rule via the UN. According to the Group, the partnership should promote common political priorities and objectives - primarily security issues and migration management. The ID Group welcomes the idea of promoting EU trade with Africa for goods that cannot be produced or grown in the EU.
See Parliament’s draft resolution: https://bit.ly/31aHhrz
See the alternative draft resolution: https://bit.ly/3ccrmz7 (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)