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Strengthening the Africa-Europe dialogue on sustainable development Brought to you by the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) and the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE - members of the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) - alongside the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET)

Europe needs to adapt to the 21st Century and realise how the world looks at Europe today. In this changed world, Europe should learn to be more humble and accept it is now all about joint learning. That would make an enormous difference in this relationship" Shada Islam

Commentator, advisor, analyst and strategist on Europe, Asia, Africa, Geopolitics, Trade, Migration, Inclusion, Diversity and Women’s Empowerment.

The partnership between Europe and Africa has withstood (partially self-imposed) heavy weather since the inaugural Africa-EU summit in Cairo more than 2 decades ago. Yet it has also seen considerable successes, notably in the area of peace and security. Both the global role of Europe and of Africa has evolved tremendously. At least on paper, the case for cooperation in today’s multipolar and increasingly contested global order seems as crucial as ever. There are concrete opportunities for reinforced cooperation in several areas and it is this tangible cooperation that the overall partnership - and summitry - should serve and invigorate.

The analysis and recommendations below are the result of a series of virtual expert meetings convened by ECDPM, DIE and ACET, with financial support from GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Bringing together a broad range of experts representing policy, investment, research and civil society communities, the meetings focused on 5 key areas of the partnership between Europe and Africa.

Areas of Europe-Africa partnership

⚖️ Trade

💻 Digital

🌿 Environment

🩺 Health

📈 Investment

TRADE ⚖️

“The AfCFTA is not a panacea and considerable accompanying measures, reforms and investment are also needed. The EU can support African Union (AU) member states to pursue the complementary economic reforms that will yield the biggest gains”

What is at stake?

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is an ambitious economic integration initiative. It can play an important role in helping African countries diversify their productive capacities and integrate into regional and global value chains. The AfCFTA can also support Africa’s COVID-19 recovery, and increase its economic resilience to future shocks.

What are the challenges?

  • How to muster institutional capacity and political will at the national and regional levels to foster implementation?
  • How to ensure coherence of regional and continental trade relations?
  • How to bridge regional disparities and encourage leadership and commitment from the big member states to implement what is agreed?
  • How to create opportunities for all and compensate the losers of regional integration?
  • How to address non-trade barriers to intra-African trade?
  • How to stimulate private sector participation to bring the agreement to life?

Our recommendations

DIGITAL 💻

“If the AU and EU jointly prioritise and realise a Digital4Development (D4D) strategy, they can foster a digital partnership that will lead to inclusive digital economies and greater human well-being on both continents”

What's at stake?

Digitalisation will transform and revolutionise our economies and societies, and influence the way we work, live and interact. Digitalisation creates numerous opportunities. Yet, if poorly managed, digitalisation can also lead to job losses and fears among citizens and lawmakers regarding data protection, ethics and privacy, freedom of speech, surveillance, and monopolistic tendencies.

What are the challenges?

  • How to ensure the requisite digital capabilities and skills without which Africa will miss the many opportunities that technologies and digitalisation offer for development and improved well-being?
  • How to prioritise and organise data governance, as ensuring data sovereignty is essential for all parties but most importantly for Africa?
  • How to instil the importance of data and manage its commodification in areas such as health, education, research, industrial innovation and agriculture?
  • How to foster improvements in innovation ecosystems, particularly to realise a safe and secure digital single market (DSM), which is a common goal of the AU and EU?

Our recommendations

ENVIRONMENT 🌿

“The AU’s Agenda 2063 gives strong priority to poverty reduction and climate adaptation, whereas the European Green Deal, which is an ambitious agenda to transform Europe into a carbon-neutral continent by 2050, has a limited social dimension”

What's at stake?

Green transition combines the climate agenda with an innovative socio-economic project for job creation and sustainable growth, which are interests shared by the two continents. Both AU and EU are committed to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate Agreement.

What are the challenges?

EU and AU approach green transitions from very different angles. Whereas the EU has a major historic responsibility and continues to have very high per capita emissions, African countries have contributed little to climate change but are severely affected by its consequences. The AU’s Agenda 2063 gives strong priority to poverty reduction and climate adaptation, whereas the European Green Deal, which is an ambitious agenda to transform Europe into a carbon-neutral continent by 2050, has a limited social dimension.

Our recommendations

HEALTH 🩺

"The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for greater investments in health systems as well as for an integrated approach to health security at all levels. The EU and Africa must work together to seek long-term solutions to transform health systems, the way they collaborate and the way they approach health"

What's at stake?

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for greater investments in health systems as well as for an integrated approach to health security at all levels. Yet, health is currently competing with many other strategic priorities, including the green and digital transitions and migration. The EU and Africa must work together to seek long-term solutions to transform health systems, the way they collaborate and the way they approach health.

What are the challenges?

  • Chronic underinvestment in a coordinated health system approach.
  • Lack of capacities and institutions that can reduce the risk of new infectious diseases and increase resilience when pandemics arise.
  • When crises recede, financial investments and the institutionalisation of long-term approaches tend to wane (the so-called cycle of panic and neglect).

Our recommendations

INVESTMENT 📈

“The African continent is still characterised by limited economic integration and low levels of internal trade. Other major challenges that negatively impact investment are the rising debt issue, the inadequate national and regional investment climate, and the predominance of the informal economy.”

What's at stake?

The African continent is still characterised by limited economic integration and low levels of internal trade. Other major challenges that negatively impact investment are the rising debt issue, the inadequate national and regional investment climate, and the predominance of the informal economy.

What are the challenges?

Investment is lacking in many key areas, including infrastructure, climate change, digitalisation and connectivity, sustainable agriculture and industrialisation, in particular in local production capacity, value chain development and access to finance for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Our recommendations

Brought to you by the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) and the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE - members of the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) - alongside the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET)

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