Communications and Public Affairs
EurAfrica, a new offer between Africa and Europe
Brussels, 02 April 2019 - On the occasion of the conference "Africa - Europe: Creating value and building a future together" held today in Brussels, 35°Nord and Lysios, two communications and public affairs consulting firms, specializing respectively in African and in European issues, announce the launch of a global consultancy offer based in Brussels under the EurAfrica brand.
The solutions provided by EurAfrica - strategic consulting, relations with public authorities, and public and press relations - provide a combination of skills to establish a trust relationship between private or public players, their institutional counterparts and public opinion, both in Africa and Europe.
EurAfrica aims to support international groups, companies and institutions, professional organizations, associations and foundations, across a wide spectrum of sectors: industry and agro-industry, energy, water and environment, logistics and transport, trade and distribution, telecoms, finance, education, media, healthcare, public sector and institutions.
“For several years, we have noticed that there is a lack of relations, knowledge and dialogue between African public decision-makers and companies operating in Africa, and the institutions of the European Union. The year 2019 is particularly important in this respect, with the election of a new Parliament, the establishment of a new Commission and the preparatory work for the negotiation of the post-Cotonou agreements that will bind the two continents from 2020 onwards,” explain EurAfrica's founders Jean-Luc Archambault, Romain Grandjean, Philippe Perdrix and Grégoire Schöller.
“In view of these challenges, it therefore seems appropriate to us to bring Africa and the European Union closer together by contributing to a better understanding of the content and methods of European policy-making towards the African continent and by facilitating access to European private and public funding,” they add.
Europe is Africa's largest trading partner with 36% of trade, or €243.5 billion in 2017, well ahead of China (16%) and the United States (6%). In the same year, the European private sector accounted for more than 40% of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa, or €291 billion, compared with 7% for the United States and 5% for China. Africa and Europe therefore share an interest in intensifying and strengthening their partnership, keeping in mind that Africa will have a population of more than 2.5 billion in 2050 - a quarter of the world's working-age population - and will have a GDP equivalent to that of the European Union. “To seize these opportunities, it is necessary to encourage greater involvement of private sector companies and civil society organizations, and to promote shared or mutual interests,” explain the founders of EurAfrica.
Today's conference proposed two panels: “What funding for African economies and the development of trade with Europe?” and “Education, startups, SMEs and digital technology: the right answers to the employment challenge in Africa”, in the presence of former Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo Matata Ponyo Mapon, Vice-President of the European Parliament Livia Jaroka, Deputy Director General for International Cooperation and Development of the European Commission Koen Doens, President of the Africa Committee of Medef International Patrice Fonlladosa, the President of Investisseurs & Partners, Jean-Michel Severino, the Chief Executive Officer of AfricInvest Europe, Khaled Ben Jennet, the Director of International Expertise at BpiFrance, Vincent Di Betta, the Co-CEO of HC Capital and Co-Founder of Cosmos Retail, Hafeez Giwa, the Founder and CEO of Aldelia, Cédric Filet, and the CEO of Lafont Africa and Africa Premium Investment, Dominique Lafont.
1. Source: IMF
2. « Entreprenante Afrique », Jean-Michel Severino et Jérémy Hajdenberg (Odile Jacob)
About EurAfrica
EurAfrica was born from a partnership between two leading actors.
- Lysios, a public affairs consulting firm, supports its clients in their relations with their institutional, political and regulatory environment and all their stakeholders in France and Europe.
- 35°Nord is a strategic consulting and communication agency (press relations, financial communication, digital communication, public affairs) dedicated to the African continent, which supports its private and public clients in their advocacy and development.
Contacts
EurAfrica
35 Square de Meeus
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Email: contact@eurafrica.fr
Tel: +32 2 89 39 713
Lysios Public Affairs
229, Boulevard Saint Germain
75007 Paris, France
Email: info@lysios.com
Tel: +33 1 71 18 33 60
35°Nord
32, rue Washington
75008 Paris, France
Email: info@35nord.com
Tel: +33 1 81 80 37 35
