The European and African partners said they are convinced that the sixth summit between the EU and the African Union, which ended on Friday 18 February in Brussels at the end of exchanges unanimously described as “fruitful and frank”, should mark the beginning of a new era for a renewed and consolidated strategic partnership, bringing shared prosperity and lasting security for Europe and Africa.
The political declaration adopted at the end of the summit sets out an ambitious common vision for 2030, based on common values and objectives and support for multilateralism to take advantage of the opportunities and address together the challenges of the green and digital transition, economic recovery after the Covid-19 crisis with the involvement of civil society and a €150 billion ‘Africa-Europe’ investment package which was confirmed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (see EUROPE 12893/3).
The UN’s Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its 17 SDGs are the main thread of the declaration, but the African Union’s Agenda 2063 is also mentioned.
Speaking to the press, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, welcomed the “pragmatic and effective discussions”, which had inaugurated “a new software, which has laid the new foundations of the Europe-Africa relationship” with the mobilisation of resources “to support African projects”, whether in the field of development, vaccine production, climate or infrastructure.
“Africa is setting sail and the EU wants to be its partner of choice, a trusted economic partner. We want to invest in the green transition, green hydrogen, connectivity, sustainable agriculture, healthcare and education”, said Ms von der Leyen.
Speaking of a “new state of mind”, the Senegalese president and current chairman of the African Union, Macky Sall, cited a “rethought” partnership. Thanking the Commission for the €150 billion Global Gateway initiative, he said that “if it is effectively mobilised, it is a major step forward”, especially “for shared growth”.
The list of major infrastructure projects to be financed will be discussed between Europeans and Africans in the follow-up to the summit. A follow-up mechanism is also established in the joint political declaration.
As an example of future strategic corridors, French President Emmanuel Macron stressed “the importance of the European constellation, which is Euro-African, a North-South project in terms of connection and economic development”.
Six African countries as mRNA vaccine ‘hubs’. Strengthening health systems and vaccination in Africa was identified by participants as an immediate priority, in line with the Global Health Summit ‘Rome Declaration’ (see EUROPE 12724/5).
During the summit, in a video event organised by the WHO and broadcast by the Commission, the first beneficiaries of the mRNA vaccine technology centre in low- and middle-income countries were announced - South Africa where the first hub was established in June 2021, Senegal, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia - a WHO initiative supported by the EU.
Forty million euros are being mobilised for this purpose by the European Commission, France, Germany and Belgium “in the form of immediately accessible donations”, said Ms von der Leyen.
In South Africa, the first clinical trials are expected in the first quarter of this year with approval in 2024, said WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who called for the process to be accelerated.
There are 116 countries who are not close to reaching the WHO’s EU and G20-backed target of vaccinating 70% of the world’s population by mid-2022, said Mr Ghebreyesus, regretting that “more than 80% of the population in Africa has not yet received a single dose”.
It is, he says, “a strategic investment” because, beyond Covid-19 vaccines, production “should be extended to other diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and even cancer, for Africa and the world”.
For his part, Charles Michel assured that Africa “can count on the EU to boost strategic production capacities”, the objective being that “by 2024, 60% of vaccines administered in Africa will be produced in Africa”, compared to 1% currently, he said. This was an opportunity for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to again advocate for the lifting of patents, but also for Covax and GAVI to commit to purchasing these vaccines.
Emmanuel Macron welcomed a step forward for “African pharmaceutical sovereignty”.
Vaccine patents. The EU and the AU have finally reached a compromise (see EUROPE 12893/3): “The AU and the EU are committed to cooperating constructively towards an agreement on a comprehensive World Trade Organization (WTO) response to the pandemic, which includes trade and intellectual property aspects”.
“We share the same goal, we have different ways of achieving it”, summarised Ursula von der Leyen. She added that the participants had agreed that the European Commission and the AU Commission would work together in the spring to find an agreement on the patent issue.
For the time being, the deadline has been set by trade ministers for the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (see EUROPE 12890/3) to be held at the end of June, by which time agreement on intellectual property rights must be reached.
Climate and fossil fuels. The issue of the exploitation of fossil fuels could be resolved by a compromise that would meet the demands of African countries not to be forced to sacrifice their industrial development on the altar of the green transition. The declaration recognises “the importance of using available natural resources as part of this energy transition process” and stresses that Africa will be “supported in its transition to promote fair and sustainable trajectories towards climate neutrality”.
The next COP27 will be hosted this year by Egypt.
Trade. The EU and AU partners confirm their commitment to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and its importance for “regional economic integration”.
In the margins of the summit, EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis and Kenyan Foreign Minister Raychelle Omamo pledged to advance work on an interim Economic Partnership Agreement.
In 2014, negotiations were concluded between the EU and five countries of the East African Community. However, only Kenya and Rwanda have since signed and ratified the agreement. Burundi, Uganda and Tanzania have yet to do so. It was decided in 2021 that those countries that wished to do so could move forward on the implementation of the agreement bilaterally with the EU.
Migration. The declaration calls for a “strengthened and reciprocal partnership on migration and mobility”. It will aim at preventing irregular migration, enhancing cooperation against smuggling and trafficking in human beings, supporting strengthened border management and achieving effective improvements on return, readmission and reintegration, including promoting voluntary return and facilitating sustainable reintegration of returned persons.
“Respecting national needs, competencies and legal frameworks, pathways for legal migration opportunities will be further developed between both continents and within Africa”, the declaration says, also highlighting “the challenges posed by the brain drain” and calling for investment in youth and women and support for technical and vocational education and training. Niger, Benin and Rwanda announced, on 18 February, the creation of African training centres, said Mr Macron.
For his part, King Mohammed VI of Morocco argued that “the pandemic has shown that in terms of mobility, migrants do not harm the economy. They even have a positive impact on the host countries - where they are often essential workers - and on their countries of origin”. “The issue of migration should therefore be seen for what it is: not just a challenge, but rather a bundle of opportunities”.
Renewed cooperation on security.
In their declaration, the EU and the AU announce a “renewed and strengthened cooperation for peace and security”.
“Security and the fight against terrorism are not only an issue in the Sahel, but also in the Horn of Africa, Central Africa, it affects the whole continent”, the French president reminded the media.
The leaders underline their determination to deepen their cooperation by providing support for training, capacity building and adequate equipment, “in order to strengthen and intensify self-sustaining peace operations by African defence and security forces”, including through EU missions and assistance measures. They also want to support capacity building for law enforcement.
For the Chair of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, African states are ready to mobilise manpower. “Our friends can help us build the capacity of African forces. There is no question of French, German or Danish soldiers dying in Africa. We need technology, expertise, financial means, equipment to be able to face this terrible threat to peace and stability”, he explained.
The leaders also pledge continued support for African-led peace support operations. According to Mr Faki Mahamat, the EU has already financed peace operations on the African continent to the tune of €2.5 billion.
See the joint statement: https://bit.ly/3v06uF7 (Original version in French by Aminata Niang, Léa Marchal, Camille-Cerise Gessant, and Solenn Paulic)