Africa and the European Union

Latest news about Africa and the European Union. Two frameworks govern EU relations with African countries. The most long-standing one is the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP), enshrined in the 1975 Lomé Convention and updated in 2000 by the Cotonou Agreement. More recently, a continental approach has gained ground, which led to the Joint-EU Africa Strategy (JAES) conceived in the 2007 EU-Africa summit in Lisbon and reflecting the pan-African dimension.

Eastern & Southern African countries look to reinforce trade ties with EU

The EU began talks Wednesday with five Eastern and Southern Africa countries (Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe) to deepen their current Economic Partnership Agreement.

Towards a new Africa - Europe Alliance

In his State of the Union 2018 address on 12 September, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker outlined Commission proposals for a new 'Africa – Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs'.

EU External Investment Plan

As part of its External Investment Plan, the EU gave its green light to a package of financial guarantee programmes worth around EUR 800 million on 10 July. This will help to leverage an estimated EUR 8-9 billion in public and private investment in Africa and the Neighbourhood.

EU boosts security in Africa's Sahel region

The EU announces extra funding for the G5 Sahel Joint Security Force to support regional security and fight terrorism, and a reinforcement of international coordination of sustainable development efforts.

EU partnership with G5 Sahel countries

On 23 February 2018, the European Commission is hosting the International High Level Conference on the Sahel in Brussels, with the African Union, the United Nations and the G5 Sahel group of countries, to strengthen international support for the G5 Sahel regions.

Summit strengthens EU-Africa cooperation

European and African leaders set out their commitment at the close of an EU-Africa summit Thursday to invest in youth for a sustainable future, prioritising investment, education, security and migration.

First actions of EU's External Investment Plan

The European Commission's concrete areas of investments for the EU's External Investment Plan will mobilise EUR 44 billion of sustainable investment for Africa and the EU Neighbourhood countries.

European External Investment Plan

The EU's External Investment Plan will support more inclusive and sustainable development in Africa and the European Neighbourhood. It will boost public and private investment and thus address some of the obstacles to growth in our partner countries.

Green light for European sustainable development fund

A European fund for sustainable development to support investments in African and neighbourhood countries will be set upo later this week, following Monday's agreement by the EU Council of Ministers.

EU relations with Tunisia

Six years on from the 2011 Revolution, Tunisian people have paved the way for a modern democracy based on freedoms, socio-economic development and social justice. The European Union has been supporting Tunisia in this process, reinforcing bilateral relations and cooperation in key areas.

EU drives new impetus for Europe-Africa partnership

The European Commission and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini set out Thursday the EU's political priorities and concrete proposals for a stronger strategic partnership with Africa.

EU - Libya relations

Following the popular uprising in Libya in 2011, the EU made significant efforts, including through the diplomatic track, to assist Libya's transition towards an inclusive and stable democracy and to support the UN mediation efforts in that process.

EU-southern Africa trade partnerships come into effect

EU partnership agreements with five southern African countries - Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland - came into effect Monday, starting a new chapter in their trade relations with the EU.

Euro-MPs back trade deal with six African countries

The European Parliament approved an agreement Wednesday granting duty-free access to the EU for products from Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho, and improved market access for South Africa.

EU External Investment Plan

An External Investment Plan, proposed by the European Commission on 14 September, would support investment in our partner countries, in Africa and the European Neighbourhood, to strengthen EU partnerships, promote a new model of participation of the private sector and contribute to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The plan forms part of broader efforts the EU is pursuing on the basis of the new Partnership Framework adopted in June.

Migration issues dominate EU foreign affairs council

EU foreign ministers focused on migration issues Monday, debating the migration challenges of the Sahel region, and extending the EU naval force Operation Sophia to strengthen efforts against human smugglers and traffickers.

Action to tackle root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement in the Horn of Africa

The European Commission has approved 10 new actions worth EUR 117 million to improve stability and address the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement in the Horn of Africa region.

European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa

The European Commission launched on 12 November with other EU Member States and other European donors the EU's Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa.

EU cooperation with Africa on migration

The College of European Commission welcomed to Brussels on 22 April the College of the African Union Commission for their annual meeting. The meeting was to give fresh impetus in the relationship between the two strategic partners. Migration was a key topic in the light of the recent migrant disasters in the Mediterranean.

Ebola outbreak in West Africa - EU response

The European Commission announced on 5 September EUR 140m of funding for the countries currently affected by the Ebola virus in West Africa: Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Nigeria. EUR 38 million of the new package is specifically designed to help those governments bolster their health services (for example through reinforcing treatment centres or support for health workers), both during the crisis and in the recovery phase. It will also provide support in the areas of food security, water and sanitation, which are essential in terms of safeguarding the health of the population.

European Trust Fund for the Central African Republic

The European Commission, Germany, France and the Netherlands are to set up the first European Union Trust Fund, the aim of which is to promote the stabilisation and reconstruction of the Central African Republic (CAR). The Fund has been christened Bêkou, which means 'hope' in Sango, the language of the Central African Republic. The scale of the political and security crisis in the CAR, the difficulties pertaining to infrastructure, the provision of basic services and the functioning of the administration call for international aid that is structured and tailored to situations of fragility and can be organised quickly and efficiently.

EU-Africa relations

On 29/30 November the EU and Africa strengthened their long-standing partnership at the 5th African Union - European Union Summit, in Abidjan Cote D'Ivoire.

EU development support in Somalia

On 16 September 2013, the EU and Somalia jointly held a high-level event entitled "A new deal for Somalia" in Brussels. The aim was to sustain the positive momentum in the country, to ensure it stays on the path to stability and peace, bringing prosperity to its people. The international community and Somalia endorses the so-called Compact - a key milestone of the process - pledge support to enable its implementation and, above all, re-commit to this new political process.

EU-Egypt relations

The European Union and Egypt established diplomatic relations in 1966 and are bound by the Association Agreement that came into force in 2004.

Boost for Enterprise Europe Network in Asia, North Africa

The European Commission is extending the reach of the Enterprise Europe Network - its business and innovation support network for SMEs - by opening new contact points in Japan, as well as doubling its presence in China. The aim, it says, is to see more European small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) profit from the fast growing markets in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe.