Ndamu Sandu
22 July 2007
AHEAD of the second EU-Africa summit in December, the European Commission has adopted a proposal presenting key flagship initiatives embodying a new approach to relations to be deliberated at the indaba.
The policy initiatives will be put forward by the future Joint EU-Africa Strategy to be deliberated by both the EU and Africa at the summit in Lisbon, Portugal.
In a news release the European Commission said: "The Joint Strategy, to be adopted during the second EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon in December, will outline a long term shared vision of the future of EU-Africa relations in a globalised world."
The European Commission policy initiatives embody partnership in energy; climate change; migration, mobility and employment; democratic governance; and political and institutional architecture.
The Joint Strategy aims to strengthen the EU-Africa political dialogue so as to bring the EU-Africa partnership beyond development co-operation by opening up the EU-Africa dialogue to issues of joint political concern and interest. It envisages to bring partnership beyond Africa by moving away from a focus on Africa matters only and openly address European and issues of global concern and to act accordingly in the relevant fora to make globalisation work for all.
The joint strategy sees partnership beyond fragmentation in supporting Africa's aspirations to find regional and continental responses to some of the most important challenges. It also looks at partnership beyond institutions in ensuring a better participation of African and European citizens, as part of an overall strengthening of civil society in the two continents.
EU and African countries are locked in negotiations for the reciprocal Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). African, Carribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries used to enjoy unilateral trade preferences with the EU for almost three decades under the Lomé Conventions. The Fourth Lomé Convention was replaced by the Cotonou Agreement in 2000, which extends these unilateral trade preferences up to the end of 2007.
Negotiated World Trade Organisation (WTO) compatible reciprocal trade agreements, EPAs, will replace the current non-reciprocal preferential trade regime. These EPAs have to be concluded by no later than the beginning of 2008.
EU and China are tussling over the control of African market following heavy investments by Beijing into the continent.
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