FAQ about the EU-Africa Strategic Partnership
Why a new strategic partnership between Africa and the EU?
Europe and Africa share some common concerns and interests, including peace and security, governance, migration, energy and climate change. They are also facing their own special challenges:
- Africa is changing rapidly, with the creation of the African Union and its socio-economic programme - the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). While some African countries are experiencing rapid economic growth, poverty remains widespread and it is uncertain whether the Millennium Development Goals will be achieved by 2015.
- Europe must redesign its institutions to keep pace with the successive addition of new countries to the EU. It faces the challenge of revitalising a sluggish economy as its population inexorably ages. The EU is no longer Africa's only partner, although the historical and cultural links between the two continents remain strong.
In this context, it was time for Africa and Europe to redefine their relations and embark on a more mature and political partnership between equals.
What's new?
Unlike the EU's 2005 strategy for Africa, the new strategy is a jointly negotiated and agreed document between the two parties. The main innovations are that it:
- goes beyond Africa, to cover a wider geographic scope - emphasising closer cooperation and dialogue with other key international actors
- goes beyond development, to cover global issues - peace and security, democratic governance and human rights, migration, energy and climate change
- goes beyond institutions, by opening to non-state actors and recognising also the important role of parliaments and local authorities
How is the strategic partnership financed?
Rather than creating new instruments, the existing ones will have to be streamlined to finance the new partnership.
The following sources of financing are expected to support implementation of the partnership (depending on their scope and relevance):
- European Development Fund (EDF)
- European Neighbourhood Policy (ENPI)
- Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI)
- Instrument for Stability (IfS)
- European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR)
- EU's common foreign and security policy budget
- Bilateral contributions from EU member countries
- Bilateral contributions from African countries
- Trust funds, such as the African Peace Facility (APF) or the AU Peace Fund
- International organisations
- International financing institutions
- Development banks, such as the African Development Bank or the European Investment Bank
- Private foundations
- Private sector
- Local authorities
- Civil society organisations
In addition, the European Commission manages a special programme to strengthen the institutional capacity of the African Union organs (€55m for 2000-07).