The Committee on Development adopted the
own-initiative report by Maurice PONGA (EPP, FR) on the EU-Africa
Strategy: a boost for development.
Given that the EU is Africa’s main partner in the
fields of economic activity and trade as well as development,
humanitarian aid and security, Members called for a new vision for
this partnership that reflects the evolution of the political,
economic, environmental and social situations of both
continents.
The Cotonou Agreement with the EU, to which 79 ACP
States are parties, including 48 in sub-Saharan Africa, governs the
main partnership between the EU and Africa.
In financial terms, the 11th European Development Fund
(EDF) has a budget of EUR 30.5 billion, of which EUR 900 million
are reserved for the African Peace Facility, and EUR 1.4 billion of
the EDF will be used for the EU Trust Fund for Africa. More than
EUR 5 billion have been spent on the needs of African countries in
the context of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI), and EUR
845 million have been allocated to the Pan-African Programme under
the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) to implement the Joint
Africa-EU Strategy (JAES).
Intensifying political dialogue: as a precondition for a renewed strategic
partnership, Members invited the future partnership to focus on the
priority areas identified by both the AU and the EU, such
as:
- economic development (via trade, Economic Partnership
Agreements (EPAs));
- good governance, including human rights;
- human development via public services covering basic
needs, such as education, health, access to water and sanitation,
gender equality, science, technology and innovation;
- security and the fight against terrorism;
- migration and mobility;
- environment – including climate
change.
According to Members, budget support is the best
way to carry out appropriation, providing governments with the
means to determine their needs and priorities.
Building more resilient states and
societies: Members considered it
necessary to make resilience (political, security, environmental,
economic and social) a major component of the new EU-Africa
strategy.
In particular, Members called for efforts to be
undertaken to:
- enhance cooperation between the EU and Africa in the
field of security and justice in respect of the
international legal framework in order to take a holistic approach
to tackling problems and to better combat organised crime, human
trafficking and smuggling particularly in relation to children, and
terrorism;
- enhance cooperation within the EU-Africa Strategy
aimed at preventing impunity, promoting the rule of law and the
expansion of police and judicial capacities;
- develop a strategic approach to building climate
resilience and to support African countries;
- increase cooperation between the European and African
private sectors and for the concentration of investment,
particularly by means of public-private
partnerships;
- better coordinate their aid for trade
programmes and to boost synergies
with their Africa investment policies;
- ensure non-discrimination against vulnerable
groups, including persons with disabilities and indigenous
peoples;
- strengthen African national education systems to
ensure universal, inclusive, equitable and long-term access to
high-quality education at all levels, from early childhood onwards
and for all, with a special focus on girls, and including in
emergency and crisis situations;
- break down the barriers faced by women and other
vulnerable groups, including children, people with disabilities and
LGBTI people;
- step up their financial contribution to trust
funds and other instruments aiming to foster inclusive and
sustainable growth and stimulate job creation thus contributing to
addressing the root causes of migration. In this regard, the
report also asked for a stronger scrutiny role of the European
Parliament to ensure that migration partnerships and funding
tools are compatible with EU legal basis, principles and
commitments.