EUROPE-AFRICA E-Alert

EU-Africa e-alert

This e-alert aims to provide quick and regular information and analysis on the decisions and processes that impact on the implementation of the new EU Strategy towards Africa. This newsletter is part of a project funded by the European Commission and implemented by ECORYS, aiming at reinforcing the coordination, complementarity and coherence (the “three Cs”) of EU action towards Africa. This first e-alert focuses primarily on the EU and AU levels. But it is expected that in the future information and analysis concerning sub-regional, national and local levels would be provided as well, since this newsletter is expected to be a living document and is meant to offer stakeholders the opportunity to share information and exchange points of view. Please do not hesitate to send interesting links and articles which can contribute to enriching this e-alert, in particular by African partners who can contribute to the AU news section and provide an African perspective on the follow up of the EU Strategy towards Africa.

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I AU news: focus on the BanjulSummit

EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006

The editorial below is a reflection on the 7th Summit of the African Union and its impact on the relationship between the EU and Africa with a particular focus on the three following themes: the rationalization of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the governance of the African Union and the rise of “South South” relations.

II EU news

EU-Africa e-alert, No. 1, August 2006

1.Joint ACP-EC Council of Ministers decision over the 10th EDF

2.EPA Negotiations

3.Negotiation of instruments of EC external aid

4.Publication of the Annual Report 2006 on the EC’s Development Policy and the Implementation of External Assistance in 2005

5.EU pledges towards Africa

6.EU support to African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS)

7.A new EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership

8.Council Meetings: Focus on the Military operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo

9.The priorities of the Finnish Presidency

10.Migration

III EU-AU relations and follow-up of the EU Strategy towards Africa

EU-Africa e-alert, No. 1, August 2006

1.Darfur (Sudan)

2.Migration: Focus on the Euro-Africa Conference on Migration and Development in Rabat, 10-11 July 2006

3.Trade negotiations: Focus on the Doha Round

4.Full cooperation with Mauritania resumes with a € 66 M road project

5.The EU Strategy towards Africa: news and comments

EU-Africa e-alert, No. 1, August 2006

Editors: Jean Bossuyt () and Marie-Laure de Bergh ().

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent any official view of the European Commission.

I AU news: focus on the BanjulSummit

EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006

1. Marie-Laure de Bergh, ECDPM, editorial on “The Banjul summit: what consequences for the EU-Africa relationship?”, July 2006

Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the governance of the African Union and the rise of “South South” relations.

EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006

2.Other related articles and websites

Official Summit Website of the AU agenda, decisions and declarations taken at the Summit, press releases

Official Summit Website of The Gambia

Africa: AU launches people’s court

AU panel wants African court for Habre

African Civil Society Organisations’ Declaration and Recommendation to the 7th Summit of the African Union

African leaders want Nepad, AU integrated

Banjul Summit fails to adopt the Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance

AU Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa

Eve Odete, part of the SOAWR coalition delegation, reports back on the events in Banjul where Niger's rejection of the AU Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa was roundly condemned.

3.Peace and Security: Sudan and Somalia

The African Union has insisted its peacekeeping mission in Sudan's Darfur region will end in three months' time.

The African Union and western diplomats have agreed to send a team to Somalia to assess the possibility of deploying peacekeepers there.

AU Peace and Security Council

4 August 2006

Press statement on the outcome of the Extraordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of IGAD on Somalia, held in Nairobi on 1st August 2006

4.Adoption of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption

The African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption was adopted by the Second Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union in Maputo, Mozambique, in July 2003.Since the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria deposited its instrument of ratification on 6th July 2006, becoming the fifteenth country to do so, and in conformity with Article 23 (2), the Convention entered into force on 5th August 2006, 30 days after the deposit of the fifteenth instrument of ratification.

AU Commission, 4 August 2005

5.For regular news on the African Union

EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006

II EU news

EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006

For more news and follow-up on the EU development policy, see Melissa Julian’s weekly e-alert. Registration on ECDPM’s website at

EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006

For more news and follow-up on EU-ACP trade relations, see

EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006

Joint ACP-EC Council of Ministers decision over the 10th EDF

The amount of the 10th EDF has been agreed upon by ACP countries and the European community at the EU-ACP Joint Council in Papua-New Guinea for the period 2008-2013. Further comments on this decision will be available in the next edition of this e-alert.

Decision No 1/2006 of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers of 2 June 2006 specifying the multi-annual financial framework for the period 2008-2013 and modifying the revised ACP-EC Partnership Agreement

Decision No 2/2006 of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers of 2 June 2006 on

re-assigning part of the reserve of the long-term development envelope of the 9th European Development Fund (EDF)

Austrian State Secretary Hans Winkler at the ACP-EU Council of Ministers meeting in Papua New Guinea on 1 and 2 June 2006

EPA Negotiations

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has met ACP Trade Ministers in Brussels on the 28th of June.

Although development funding is not a part of the EPA negotiation, Mandelson assured ACP Ministers that EPA's are a central priority in the 22.7 billion euro 10th European Development Fund. Mandelson also said that if amounts available were not sufficient to address EPA requirements, then funding could be reviewed.

Rémi Lang, ATPC, “Renegotiating GATT Article XXIV - a priority for African countries engaged in North-South trade agreements.”, February 2006

This paper reviews the current WTO negotiations on Article XXIV of GATT and how they could impact African and other developing countries. These negotiations are crucial for African countries, as they will set the parameters under which North-South Regional Trade Agreements such as EPAs can be formulated.

EU Member States discuss ACP-EC statement on the EPA review process, 14 June 2006.

The EU Council ACP Working Group discussed this week the draft ACP-EC statement on the EPA review process under Article 37.4 of the Cotonou Agreement. Several EU Member States proposed amendments to make sure the review is completed before the negotiations. The final text is to be presented to the Joint Ministerial Trade Committee meeting to be held on 28 June in Geneva.

Negotiation of instruments of
EC external aid

The financial instruments include cooperation and development, economic cooperation, European Neighbourhood and Partnership Policy, aid for stability and pre-accession. An additional instrument on human rights has been added by the European Parliament. The instrument for development cooperation and economic cooperation has a budget of €15.1 bn for 2007-13. The three other instruments are for the European Partnership and Neighbourhood programme (€10.5 bn over seven years, the pre-accession instrument (10.2 million) and the stability instrument for dealing with crises and instability in third countries (€2.5 bn). The Development Cooperation Instrument is still under negotiation (it should be finalised by October 2006). African countries will benefit from the Development Cooperation Instrument, the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument and the Stability Instrument. More complete information will be provided in the next issues.

EU Finnish Presidency to Parliament's Development Committee, 11 July 2006

European Parliament Development Committee, Working Document on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2007 -

Section III - Commission, 4 July 2006

European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for regulations of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an Instrument for Stability and a European Neighborhood Policy Instrument, 6 July 2006

and

EUROSTEP, “The Development Cooperation Instrument. Response to the Presidency proposal . A democratic, efficient and transparent instrument?”, June 2006

CIDSE paper on the Stability Instrument: Development objectives or EU security objectives?

Publication of the Annual Report 2006 on the EC’s Development Policy and the Implementation of External Assistance in 2005

Commission of the European Union, 2006 Annual Report and Annexes, June 2006

and

Marie-Laure de Bergh, Jonas Frederiksen, James Mackie, ECDPM comments on the “Annual report 2006 on the EC's Development Policy and the Implementation of External Assistance in 2005”, June 2006

The following comments on the Annual Report on the European Commission’s development policy and external assistance’s implementation focus on the structure of the report and the following areas that are defined as priorities for the present Finnish Presidency: policy coherence for development and aid effectiveness.

EU pledges towards Africa

EC President Barroso calls on G8 EC President Barroso calls on G8 to lay the foundations for a stable energy future and makes new aid proposal for Africa

One year on from Gleneagles, a DFID booklet highlights twelve areas - from aid and debt cancellation to fighting disease and promoting business – in which the commitments of the G8 are being followed through by the International community.

On June 27th, four leading African and International non-governmental organizations called on African Heads of States, gathering in Banjul for the 7th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU), to hold G8 leaders to account for the promises made last year on Africa. The next G8 Summit will take place on July 15 - 17 in St Petersburg, Russia.

EU support to African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS)

General Affairs and External Relations 2744th Council meeting. 17-18 July 2006

The Council reiterated the EU's continuing support for the Darfur Peace Agreement and reaffirmed the EU's commitment to support the efforts of the African Union (AU) and the AU mission in Sudan (AMIS) politically and financially as well as through military and police means. It welcomed the AMIS Conference on 18 July in Brussels - a joint AU, UN and EU initiative - as an important opportunity to discuss pressing issues regarding the mission's political environment as well as to enhance further the effectiveness of EU technical and staff support to AMIS.

European Council – Presidency Conclusions – Declaration on Africa in annex 6, 15/16 June 2006

The EU Council adopted a decision on an EU civilian military supporting action to the African Union mission (Amis II) in the Darfur region of Sudan. Under this decision, the financial reference amount of EUR 2 200 000 set out in November last year for the extension of the supporting action, will also cover expenditure for the continuation until 31 October 2006. The Council will evaluate no later than 30 September 2006 whether the EU supporting action should again be continued. The joint action was adopted with the aim of ensuring effective and timely EU assistance to support the Amis II enhancement. The supporting action includes a civilian and a military component. The Council also adopted on 5 July, by written procedure, a joint action revising and renewing, until 28 February 2007, the mandate of the EU Special Representative (EUSR) for Sudan. The financial reference amount for continuation of the joint action is set at EUR 1 million. Since July 2005, Mr. Pekka Haavisto has been the EU Special Representative for the Sudan. The EUSR ensures coherence between the EU's supporting action to Amis II, political efforts to promote peace in Darfur and activities relating to the implementation of the peace agreement as well as policy objectives of the EU towards Sudan.

COUNCIL DECISION implementing Joint Action 2005/557/CFSP on the

European Union civilian-military supporting action to the African Union mission in the Darfurregion of Sudan

A new EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership

Commission proposes to upgrade EU’s relations with South Africa to a Strategic Partnership

EC Press Release

EC Communications

and

Council Meetings: Focus on the Military operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo

GAERC, 12 June 2006

External Relations Conclusions,

General Affairs Conclusions

COUNCIL DECISION on the launching of the European Union military operation in support of the United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) during the election process (Operation EUFOR RD Congo),12 June2006

Council of the EU, EU military operation in support of the MONUC during the election process in RD Congo, 12 June 2006

The priorities of the Finnish Presidency

Official website of the Finnish Presidency

CIDSE, “The EU Presidency Outlook for Development: Austrians head for the Finnish”, July 2006
After the EU’s high-profile political commitments on development in 2005, the sign of the Austrian Presidency in the first semester of 2006 was implementation. Finland will place its Presidency under the banner of Policy coherence for development.

Migration

The ACP-EU Council, for the first time debated migration within the context of development, concentrating on two aspects: mobility of human resources; links between migration and development.

EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006

III EU-AU relations and follow-up of the EU Strategy towards Africa

EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006

Darfur (Sudan)

An International Conference on Darfur took place on18July 2006 in Brussels.

The conference, which follows the one held on 8 March, was organised by the EU together with the United Nations and the African Union with a twofold objective: to support the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement, and to enhance support for the African Union Mission in Darfur (AMIS). The Conference was structured in three successive "baskets": security; political; and pledging. Donor States pledged some 200 million US dollars that were welcomed by the AU, even though it was less than half its estimate of the cost of running an AU peacekeeping force in Darfur until the end of the year.

For the programme of the Conference, see:

Donors pledge new Darfur aid, press for UN force

Security in Darfur: Donors’ Conference in Brussels fails to take action

The July 18, 2006 meeting of Western donors in Brussels was touted as a way to address the growing security crisis, but failed in all ways.

Migration: Focus on the Euro-Africa Conference on Migration and Development in Rabat, 10-11 July 2006

The Conference ended with the adoption of a political declaration and the "Rabat plan of action", which trades African cooperation in helping to restrict migration in return for European development assistance. A significant part of the plan of action focuses on repressive measures, but other measures envisaged by the plan appear to be more on the persuasive side, include boosting development assistance to African economies. The Europeans have promised to give €18 billion ($22.7 billion) to support its African partners in the coming seven-year period.

For the political declaration and the action plan, see the official website of the Euro-Africa Conference

Conférence non gouvernementale euro-africaine Rabat 30/6-1/7 2006

Statement by European and African NGOs that met on 30 June and 1 July 2006 in Rabat, with a view to presenting their concerns regarding the ministerial conference.

openDEMOCRACY: The Rabat gathering's "plan of action" to control migration flows from south to north is based on a faulty diagnosis and will not succeed even in its own terms, says Gregor Noll.

Trade negotiations: Focus on the Doha Round

Doha Round Suspended indefinitely after G-6 Talks Collapse

The Doha Round of trade negotiations was put into deep freeze on 24 July, after a meeting of ministers from six key trading nations collapsed over divisions on how to cut farm subsidies and tariffs.

It is not clear when -- or if -- the talks, which started nearly five years ago, will resume.

PanAfrica: Tough Road for Africa As Trade Talks Crumble

The collapse of global trade talks was bad news for Africa, condemning the world's poorest continent to an uncertain future of high tariffs and lagging competitiveness, officials and experts said today.

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson’s reaction to Collapsing Doha Round

With the Doha Round trade talks suspended indefinitely following the collapse of high-level discussions in Geneva, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson called on 25 July for "extract[ing] from the rubble of the negotiation a significant development package" aimed at benefiting "the most needy developing countries." However, initial reactions from many developing country WTO Members were lukewarm, particularly with regard to continuing negotiations in some areas while those in others are frozen.

Recommendations of the WTO Task Force on Aid for Trade, July 2006

For a full coverage of the Aid for Trade debate, you may refer to the August 2006 issue of the acp-eu-trade.org Newsletter here.

Full cooperation with Mauritania resumes with a € 66 M road project

The European Commission has allocated over € 66 million to the road project Kaedi-M'Bout-Selibaby-Gouraye in Mauritania, aiming at improving the living conditions of populations in the south of the country. The approval of this financing proposal follows the decision on 29th of May 2006 to fully resume EU aid in response to the progress by the Mauritanian authorities in implementing their commitments with democracy and the rule of law.

The EU Strategy towards Africa: news and comments

5.1 Launch of the infrastructure partnership

Foreseen in the EU Strategy towards Africa, the infrastructure partnership will be supported by an infrastructure trust fund set up jointly by the EC and the EIB and open to EU Member States.