EU-Africa Joint Strategy

Joint Press Release: EU-African Union Dialogue 19-23 February 2007, Troika Experts Meeting

The African Union and the European Union met this week (19-23 February) to start discussions on a new joint EU-Africa Strategy to be adopted at the second EU-Africa Summit, which is foreseen to be held in the end of the second semester in Lisbon. Both sides reiterated their will to develop a new Strategic Partnership between both continents in the framework of the positive development on the African continent since the first EU-Africa summit was held in Cairo in 2000 and in particular following the establishment of the African Union in 2002.

The aim of the meeting was to identify the challenges the new joint EU-Africa Strategy needs to address as well as to establish a shared vision between both parties that should guide these negotiations. The discussions were organised on a thematic basis (Shared Vision; Peace and Security; Governance and Human Rights; Regional Integration and Trade; Key Development issues) and allowed for a frank and constructive exchange of ideas between both sides.

The results of this week's work have enabled the AU and the EU to examine the objectives and principles for their future strategic partnership. The experts agreed that the Partnership should establish a long-term Alliance with a view to promoting peace, security, development and integration of Africa; strengthening the political Partnership as a means of finding solutions to concerns of each party and common issues such as poverty alleviation, Millennium Development Goals, democratic governance, gender mainstreaming, energy, migration, and so on; combining our efforts to establish an Alliance for global governance in the international fora based on our commitment to an effective multilateralism to address globalisation, climate change, WMD non-proliferation and terrorism; involving all stakeholders of the two continents in a people-centred partnership.

The meeting made clear that there is strong will to work on a new strategic partnership based on common interest, mutual respect, realistic expectations, solidarity, mutual obligations, accountability and transparency. This set of principles should guide the elaboration of the future joint Africa-EU joint Strategy, which should be operationalised throughout the different areas of the partnership. The subsequent Troika expert meeting should focus on these aspects.

It was also recognised that for such a political partnership to sustain long term benefits for the people of the two continents, the support, participation and ongoing consultation of the African and European public will be essential and the EU and AU experts will take stock of the contributions made by African and European Non State Actors around mid-April.

| Arriba |

• "The courage to dream, the determination to act: a new partnership for Europe and Africa" - Speech by EU Commission President Barroso  (3/7/2007)
• Remarks by EU Commissioner Rehn at Africa Day Reception (24/5/2007)
• 8TH EU-AFRICA MINISTERIAL TROIKA MEETING: Final Communiqué (15/5/2007)
• Press Encounter: EU Commission President Barroso and UN Secretary-General Ban (27/4/2007)
• "Ce que l'Europe fit, l'Afrique va le faire" - discours du Commissaire Michel (17/4/2007)
• "L'intégration de l'Afrique dans l'économie mondiale" - discours de Louis Michel (27/3/2007)
• EU development ministers give broad support to EU-Africa energy partnership (15/3/2007)
• Horn of Africa: EU Commission proposes EU strategy for peace, security and development (20/10/2006)
• EU Commissioner Louis Michel proposes a strategy for peace, security and development in the Horn of Africa (20/3/2006)
• EU and Africa: Towards a Strategic Partnership  (19/12/2005)
• EU Council adoption of EU Strategy for Africa marks new era in Euro-African relations (12/12/2005)