europafrica

This is the last issue of the Europafrica bulletin.

We are grateful for your interest in the independent information hub on the Joint Africa EU Strategy (JAES) that the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) has produced over the last five years.

We hope to have contributed to improved understanding and increased ownership of this complex process of all the stakeholders involved.

In the face of external changes, resource constraints and internal restructuring, we have decided to avoid duplication and focus ECDPM’s work on the creation of analytical pieces on Africa-EU relations. This will therefore mean the discontinuation of the Europafrica bulletin.  This decision was based on your feedback on Europafrica.net as analytical work is where you best see ECDPM’s added value.  Also in contrast to when Europafrica.net was launched in 2007 there has by now been developed an official website providing information on the Joint Africa-EU Strategy process which is coordinated by the European Commission with input from the African Union Commission. You can access this official website, that is also open to contributions from other stakeholders, here.

Our own work on relevant topics will continue. We will extend the focus of our analytical work beyond the JAES and aim to deliver timely, impartial and comprehensive information on Africa-EU relations from a broader political angle. Our contributions will appear in the ECDPM Weekly Compass Newsletter and ECDPM Talking Points blog from now on.

As a first step Europafrica bulletin subscribers will automatically be subscribed to ECDPM’s Weekly Compass, which covers EU-Africa Relations and EU external relations issues including trade more widely. If you would like to unsubscribe from this weekly newsletter please click here. You can also follow the updates on the ECDPM website on Africa-EU relations. Europafrica.net will remain online as an archive.

If you are interested in receiving regular information from ECDPM on the other topics we work on, please visit the ECDPM subscription page to quickly and easily subscribe to your preferred means of receiving our information services (only two clicks required). You can receive our RSS feeds, Twitter alerts, Weekly Compass e-alerts, Talking Points blog articles, and/or new GREAT Insights monthly newsletter.

In our daily work ECDPM will continue to address asymmetries in information between Europe and Africa. We appreciate your feedback on this and look forward to your reactions. You may continue to send your comments to: europafrica@ecdpm.org

We wish to thank you for following Europafrica and hope that our continued work on EU-Africa relations will be of use to you.

Your ECDPM Team

African Union and International Partners sign a Joint Financing Arrangement on support for sustaining and strengthening African Union Liaison Offices
AU The Commission of the African Union (AU) and a group of international partners (namely, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the European Union EU) signed 11 November 2011, at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, a Joint Financing Arrangement (JFA) for the funding of the AU Liaison Offices. These Offices operate in a number of AU Member States to support efforts aimed at promoting and sustaining peace, security and stability. Read the rest of this entry »

PEACE AND SECURITY PARTNERSHIP
The African Union and the Libyan Crisis: Putting the Records Straight
AUC Letter from Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union Commission: African issues have long suffered from either a lack of exposure in the mainstream media, marginalization and misrepresentation or from outright silencing. The case of the African Union’s intervention in Libya is a classic example of how African efforts go unreported or are twisted to suit a hostile agenda. Read the rest of this entry »

Activation of the EU Operations Centre for the Horn of Africa
Council of the European Union At the 3142nd Council meeting on Foreign Affairs in Brussels, 23 January 2012, the Council adopted the following conclusions: Read the rest of this entry »

EU Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa
WECO The EU Foreign Affairs Council signed off on a new “EU Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa” earlier this week. This document clearly illustrates that the EU, with its institutions and member-states, wants also to pursue its interests beyond poverty alleviation to protecting its own citizens from threats that emanate from the region. Read the rest of this entry »

AU wants peace, security and bigger global role in 2012
IRIN The African Union (AU) has unveiled an ambitious wish-list of priorities for Africa that would give the continent a stronger global voice, boost democracy and encourage peace and security. AU Ambassador to the United States, Amina Ali of Tanzania, presented the list of top priorities at a conference on 11 January Read the rest of this entry »

European Commission doubles its humanitarian assistance in Sahel
European Commission The European Commission is doubling its humanitarian aid to the African Sahel region to 95 million EUR in response to the food crisis. The announcement was made by Kristalina Georgieva, the European Union’s crisis response commissioner, during her ongoing visit to Niger and Chad. Read the rest of this entry »

GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS PARTNERSHIP
3rd CSOs Seminar on the AU-EU Human rights Dialogue
AGI On November 21-22, the 3rd CSOs Seminar on the AU-EU Human rights Dialogue will take place in Brussels, Belgium. Read the rest of this entry »

Human rights and democracy at the heart of EU external action – towards a more effective approach
European Commission The European Commission states in a Communication to the European Parliament and the Council: Read the rest of this entry »

REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION, TRADE AND INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERSHIP
Eighteenth African Union Summit “Boosting Intra-African Trade”
AU The 18th Ordinary Session of the Summit of the African Union (AU)is scheduled to take place from 23 to 30 January 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Holding under the theme: “Boosting Intra-African Trade”, the summit will officially kick off on Monday 23 January 2012, with the 23rd Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC). Read the rest of this entry »

How to boost regional integration in Africa
WECO The EU was often acting as a model of regional integration and provided political, strategic and financial support to many regional initiatives in Africa. However, the EU approach has not always been successful, raising frustrations, and at times resentments. Read the rest of this entry »

Africa Trade Forum 2011
AU On November 22-24, the African Trade Forum 2011 – ‘Accelerating Intra-African Trade and Enhancing Africa’s participation in Global Trade’ took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Read the rest of this entry »

EU highlights trade-led growth as central to modern development agenda
European Commission A range of proposals to make trade and development instruments work hand-in-hand to ensure real poverty reduction across the world are presented by the European Commission today. The proposals aim at reinforcing the trade capacities of developing countries by making trade part of their development strategy. Read the rest of this entry »

MDGs PARTNERSHIP
Millennium Development Goals: EU gives additional support to 36 countries for tackling major development challenges
European Commission At the Millennium Summit in 2000, the UN agreed to adopt a list of eight goals of international development that should be achieved by 2015 in order to reduce extreme poverty. Meeting these Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is one of the main objectives of EU development policy, as most recently reflected in the EU’s “Agenda for Change”, a new communication to refocus EU’s aid on fewer sectors and those countries most in need. Read the rest of this entry »

EU Common Position for the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness
Council of the European Union During the 3124th FOREIGN AFFAIRS Development Council meeting Brussels, 14 November 2011, the Council adopted the following conclusions: Read the rest of this entry »

CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENT PARTNERSHIP
COP-17 side event: ‘Africa-EU scientific and technological cooperation in the field of climate change’
European Commission An event entitled ‘COP-17 side event: Africa-EU scientific and technological cooperation in the field of climate change’ will take place on 28 November 2011 in Durban, South-Africa. Read the rest of this entry »

MEPs call for strong EU line ahead of Durban climate talks
European Parliament MEPs said the EU must come up with a clear strategy for the UN summit on climate change in Durban at the end of the year. In a discussion 7 November, Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard said, “Durban is an important opportunity to progress, but it’s not the end of the road”. Read the rest of this entry »

ENERGY PARTNERSHIP
New facility brings clean and reliable energy to Eastern Africa
Africa and Europe in Partnership A new Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility will help attract investment for the construction of geothermal power plants in Eastern Africa by partially offsetting the high financial risk prompted by unsuccessful exploratory drilling. A grant totalling €50 million has been made available for this purpose. The signing ceremony took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 13 December 2011. Read the rest of this entry »

Commission welcomes Desertec and Medgrid cooperation on solar energy in North Africa and the Middle East
European Commission 24 November 2011, in the margins of the Energy Council, Energy Commissioner Oettinger welcomed the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Desertec Industry Initiative (Dii) and Medgrid. Read the rest of this entry »

MIGRATION, MOBILITY AND EMPLOYMENT PARTNERSHIP
The Commission and the International Organization for Migration streamline their cooperation
European Commission Today, 8 November, the European Commission and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the area of migration and mobility. Commissioners Cecilia Malmström (Home Affairs) and Andris Piebalgs (Development) signed a Framework Agreement with IOM Director-General William L. Swing. Read the rest of this entry »

Stronger cooperation and mobility at the centre of the renewed EU migration strategy
European Commission The EU needs to boost its relationships with non-EU States to better reap the mutual benefits migration can bring. Although migration is high on the European Union’s political agenda, the Arab spring and events in the Southern Mediterranean in 2011 further highlighted the need for a coherent and comprehensive migration policy for the EU. Read the rest of this entry »

Erasmus Mundus: funding boost for Arab Spring countries
European Commission The European Commission has more than doubled the number of education and teaching grants available for young people and university staff from countries involved in the ‘Arab Spring’ uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. Funding for a further 559 scholarships, on top of the 525 that were already planned for 2011-2012, are being allocated to Southern Mediterranean countries through ‘Erasmus Mundus’, the international version of the European Commission’s Erasmus student and staff exchange scheme. Read the rest of this entry »

The Global Approach to Migration and Mobility
Council of the European Union The Global Approach to Migration (hereinafter ‘GAM’), defined for the first time by the European Council in December 2005 and further developed in 2007 and 2008, has constituted the framework for the cooperation of the EU with third countries in the area of migration and asylum. The Stockholm Programme adopted in 2009 also acknowledged the importance of consolidating, strengthening and implementing the GAM. Read the rest of this entry »

SCIENCE, INFORMATION SOCIETY AND SPACE PARTNERSHIP
The future lies in the skies! Expanding South Africa’s radio astronomy network through cooperation
European Commission At a special meeting in the European Parliament on Monday 7 November, policymakers, experts, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and astronomers alike came together to discuss the future of radio astronomy in South Africa as well as the wider context of scientific partnership between Europe and Africa, one of the key objectives of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy adopted at the 2010 Africa-EU Summit. Read the rest of this entry »

Parliament promotes science cooperation between Europe and Africa
CORDIS Members of the European Parliament call upon their colleagues to support scientific partnerships between Europe and Africa. European involvement in African science and especially in current radio astronomy projects presents a unique opportunity to bridge the traditional divide between developed and developing economies and contribute to attaining the Millennium Development Goals. Read the rest of this entry »

African Union Research Grant Programme
AU The African Union Commission (AUC) is committed to ensure that science and technology in Africa contributes to its sustainable development efforts. The Act establishing the Union recognizes the need for Africa to embark on an ambitious strategic science and technology development programme, aimed at contributing to the wellbeing and improved quality of life for the African citizens. Read the rest of this entry »

Europe
Programme of the Danish EU Presidency (January – July 2012) regarding EU external action
Danish EU Presidency  The Danish Presidency will actively support the activity of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the continuing establishment process of the European External Action Service (EEAS), as particular focus will be placed on ensuring the greatest possible effectiveness. Read the rest of this entry »

New expert group on “EU Platform for External Cooperation and Development”
Africa and Europe in Partnership A European Commission expert group involving the European External Action Service, the European Investment Bank and EU Member States has today started its work to study the potential benefits of establishing an EU Platform for External Cooperation and Development. Read the rest of this entry »

Member States in EU divided on EDF budgetisation
WECO An interim report from EU Council Ambassadors on the development finance aspects on the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for the 2014-2020 period says that some countries could accept that the European Development Fund (EDF) would remain outside the MFF. Read the rest of this entry »

Towards supporting developing countries through all EU policy areas: New report shows progress on policy coherence for development
European Commission Today, the European Commission published its biennial report on Policy Coherence for Development. It shows that the EU and its Member States have improved the way they make sure that their policies in various areas contribute to development objectives and to the global fight against poverty. Read the rest of this entry »

Commission calls for savings in EU Institutions
European Commission For the second year running, the European Commission is urging all EU institutions to show the utmost restraint in drafting their estimates for their administrative budget in 2013. Read the rest of this entry »

Africa
18th ordinary session of the African Union ends with postponement of commissioners elections to June
AU The  Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), meeting at the 18th Ordinary Session of the AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 29 January 2012, on the theme “Boosting Intra-African Trade”, ended deliberation Read the rest of this entry »

Message of the AU Chairperson on COP17/CMP7
AU The African Union Commission continues to service AU Member States in various areas across the four pillars of peace and security, regional integration, institutional capacity building and shared values. In this context, the Commission supports Member States to build resilience against the impacts of climate change and climate variability and to adapt. Read the rest of this entry »

Strengthen AU to resist foreign intervention, Mbeki urges Africans
Daily Monitor Address by Thabo Mbeki at the Makerere University Institute of Social Research Conference on the Architecture of post-Cold War Africa – Between Internal Reform and External Intervention: Read the rest of this entry »

AUC concerned over ICC decisions on Malawi and Chad
AU The African Union Commission has noted with grave concern the decisions ICC-02/05-01/09-139 and ICC-02/05-01/09-140 of 12 and 13 December 2011, respectively, of Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Court (ICC) on the alleged failure of the Republic of Malawi and the Republic of Chad to comply with the cooperation requests issued by the ICC with respect to the arrest and surrender of President Omar Al Bashir of the Republic of Sudan. Read the rest of this entry »

Readings
Questioning old certainties: Challenges for Africa-EU relations in 2012
ECDPM ECDPM’s annual Challenges Paper seeks to identify important debates that can be expected in 2012 and beyond and to sketch the backdrop against which these will unfold. Questioning Old Certainties highlights key issues and forums to watch in 2012. Read the rest of this entry »

Best practices from the African Peer Review Mechanism
WECO A new book by the South African Institute of International Affairs critically examines the “best practices” from the first 12 African countries that published country reports under the African Peer Review Mechanism – a voluntary instrument for assessing governance on country-level in Africa. Read the rest of this entry »

EU: unclear instruments with clear results?
WECO The current European multi-annual budget includes 10 external action budget lines, or so-called ‘legal instruments’. ECDPM carried out a study for the EC, looking into what lessons could be learnt from the past experience of EU external action programmes under 6 of these 10 instruments. Read the rest of this entry »

Using Satellite Imagery to Track the Developmental Effects of Somali Piracy
Chatham House There are increasing pressures to develop land-based approaches to Somali piracy. By making use of non-traditional data sources including local market data and satellite images Read the rest of this entry »

Egyptian democracy and the Muslim Brotherhood
ISS The citizens of Egypt are preparing for historic elections, due to begin later this month. In a period of considerable uncertainty over the actual and potential trajectories of post-Mubarak Egypt, the EUISS has invited three experts to share their insights, analysis and recommendations on Egyptian democracy and the Muslim Brotherhood with EU policymakers. Read the rest of this entry »

The EU’s approach to fragility in Guinea Bissau: Between ambition and coherence
FRIDE According to a report published by FRIDE, the EU’s vast potential to address state fragility in West Africa remains unfulfilled. In Guinea Bissau the EU’s weak political analysis, perfunctory multilateralism and mistimed reform incentives have constituted critical roadblocks. Read the rest of this entry »

Selection of recent and upcoming events
2011
10 October:EU Strategy for Security and Development in Sahel adopted
10-11 October: First Senior Official Meeting in the context of the EU-Africa High Level Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Dialogue (SOM) (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
17-18 October: First annual convention of the European platform against poverty and social exclusion (Cracow, Poland)
18 October: 17th Africa Partnership Forum (Kigali, Rwanda)
19 October: 13th Joint Africa-EU Task Force (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
21 October: African Human Rights Day
3-4 November: G20 Summit (Cannes, France)
8-9 November: Regional Conference ‘On the Road to Busan’ (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
11 November: 1st PAERIP Workshop, enhancing African-European cooperation on Research Infrastructures (Cape Town, South Africa)
14 November: EU Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa adopted
14-15 November: Euro-Africa Cooperation Forum on ICT Research (Cape Town, South Africa)
28 November – 9 December: COP 17 (Durban, South Africa)
29 November – 1 December: 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (Busan, South Korea)
7 December: European Commission submits proposal for Pan-African programme to budgetary authorities
15-16 December: European Development Days (Warsaw, Poland)
15-17 December: WTO Eighth Ministerial Conference (Geneva, Switzerland)

2012
1 January – 30 June: Danish EU Presidency
23-30 January: Summit of the African Union: Boosting Intra-African Trade (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
13-17 February: Triennale on Education and Training in Africa (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso)
25 January – 29 January: World Economic Forum (Davos-Klosters, Switzerland)
26 January: Conference on translating mineral resource wealth into real development for Africa (Brussels, Belgium)
31 January – 3 February: International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (Lusaka, Zambia)
7 February – 8 February: EESC conference: ‘Go sustainable, be responsible! European civil society on the road to Rio+20′ (Brussels, Belgium)
28 February: African Sub-regional Aid For Trade and Business Event (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
12 March: International conference on promoting human rights while countering terrorism (Copenhagen, Denmark)
19-21 March: NEPAD conference on young people, farming and food: Future of the Agrifood Sector in Africa
March: Meeting of the Joint Africa-EU Task Force (Brussels, Belgium)
March: BRICS Summit (India)
17-18 April: Public Procurement in Sub-Saharan Africa (Cape Town, South Africa)
21-26 April: 13th UN conference on trade and development (Doha, Qatar)
April: European Parliament issues report on the CAP proposals
April: Launch of European Report on Development (ERD) 2011-2012
3-4 May: NEPAD MDG Review Exhibition and Summit (Cape Town, South Africa)
May: EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting to decide on the modernisation of the EU development policy (Agenda for Change and Budget Support)
May: 8th India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) Trilateral Commission Meeting (New Delhi, India)
May: CAADP Partnership Platform Meeting (Addis Abeba, Ethiopia)
4-6 June: UN Conference on Sustainable Development Rio+20 (Rio de Janeiro, Brasil)
June: G20 Summit under the Chairmanship of Mexico (Los Cabos, Baja California)
2 July: European Parliament votes on EPA Market Access Regulation 1528
August / September: European Parliament votes on draft CAP reports
November: 5th Ministerial Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) (Beijing, China)
26 November – 7 December: COP 18 (Qatar)
31 December: First commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires

2013
Africa-EU Summit (Brussels, Belgium)
MDG Review Summit
Second Turkey-Africa Cooperation Summit

2014
1 January: CAP Reforms to come into effect
1 January: Entry into force of the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014 – 2020
January: EC deadline for EPA Market Access Regulation 1528