• This Africa-EU Partnership serves as a forum for intensified continent-to-continent policy dialogue, co-operation and joint action at all levels, with a view to achieving the MDGs in all African countries.
• In most cases Africa and the EU are part of a wider effort where international financial institutions such as the World Bank and United Nations bodies as well as bilateral donors play their full part.

Many countries in Africa are confronting challenges in meeting the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, and require a broad range of strengthened efforts to meet them. These include action to tackle shortfalls in policy, data collection and implementation capacities.
The Africa-EU Millennium Development Goals Partnership was launched during the 2nd Africa-EU Summit in December 2007, Lisbon, Portugal where the First Action Plan (2008-2010) was adopted.
The Africa-EU Millennium Development Goals Partnership has four priority actions, each with its own specific objectives to achieve the MDGs by 2015:

1. Finance and Policy Base

Goals

• overcome policy and financing gaps for achieving the MDGs

Expected outcomes

• Africa-EU policy dialogue and common positions in support of both quick wins and longer term sustainable action to tackle the MDGs in the context of global partnerships and international fora, including in the context of the MDG Africa Steering Committee, chaired by the United Nations Secretary-General;
• Integrated, comprehensive and balanced approaches in addressing all MDGs;
• Stronger institutional capacity and better coordination within and between the AU and EU to tackle the MDGs;
• Enhanced networking among African and European civil society organisations and other non-state actors

2. Food Security Targets

Goals

• Make substantial progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Objective of halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger and malnutrition by the year 2015 in all African countries

 Expected outcomes

• Better access to food;
• Increased agricultural growth rates, improved agricultural productivity and reduced rural poverty;
• Agriculture and food security to be integral and strategic parts of the development agenda at national, regional and continental levels;
• Improved governance in the agricultural sectors, including in the area of sanitary measures and management regimes for land, fish and forest resources;
• Progress towards the Maputo commitments, including 10% of African national budgets devoted to the agricultural sector and rural development;
• Enhanced intra-Africa trade in agriculture, including staple foods;
• Reduced malnutrition, in particular under-5 chronic and acute malnutrition, as well as reduced maternal and child mortality;
• Improved food-security early warning systems;
• Wider application of safety-net / social transfer systems;
• Reduced vulnerability in food-insecure communities

3. Health targets

Goals

• Make substantial progress towards achieving the MDG Targets in the area of health in all African countries

Expected outcomes

• Improved access to prevention, treatment, care and support services, including for HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis and sexual and reproductive health;
• Progress towards the Abuja commitments, including 15% of African national budgets devoted to the health sector, and towards the Maputo commitments (Maputo Action Plan on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights), within the context of established EU positions;
• Increased national capacities in participatory and evidence-based health strategy planning and budgeting;
• Equal access to healthcare and rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities;
• Progress towards universal access to affordable quality medicines, vaccines, contraceptives, and commodities;
• Increased production of medicines and vaccines in Africa;
• Coordinated African and EU positions in the relevant international fora;
• Increased capacity to train, retain and stimulate the return of health workers;
• Increased risk-awareness on emerging and re-emerging diseases, medical emergencies and epidemics

4. Education targets

Goals

• Make substantial progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the area of Education in all African countries

Expected outcomes

• Greater access to free, equitable and quality education;
• Universal primary education including for children with disabilities;
• Higher enrolment and completion rates with gender parity;
• Improved quality of education infrastructure, facilities and management systems