Transcript Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES)

Joint Africa-EU Strategy
(JAES) – State of Play
An Independent Perspective from Europe
Veronika Tywuschik & James Mackie (ECDPM)
ECDPM
• Independent foundation based in Maastricht & Brussels
• Specialising in ACP-EU and AU-EU relations
 Facilitation of dialogue
 Practical analysis and information
 Capacity and partnership development
• Three ECDPM programmes:
 Trade & Economic Cooperation
 Governance
 Development Policy & International Relations (DPIR)
• ECDPM & the Joint Africa-EU Strategy
 Facilitation of public consultation on Joint Strategy (2007)
 Non partisan support to players in Joint Strategy process
 Website (europafrica.net) as an independent platform for
dialogue and discussion on Joint Strategy
 Monthly E-mail Bulletin on Africa-EU Relations
Structure of the Presentation
• 1st part:
• Overview of the JAES implementation
and monitoring process since 2008
• 2nd part:
• JAES and REC involvement
• Potential future engagement
ECDPM Analysis
Primarily Drawn From
Beyond Structures: Reflections
on the Implementation of the
Joint Africa-EU Strategy
Veronika Tywuschik & Andrew Sheriff
(2009)
www.ecdpm.org/dp87
Background to the JAES
Adopted at the EU-Africa Heads of State Summit in Lisbon in
December 2007
A “joint” strategy developed after the EU unilaterally developed its
“EU Strategy for Africa” in 2005
JAES is not a legal framework – but a jointly agreed Strategy
Drivers - globalization, geopolitical considerations, political
integration, ‘relative failure’ of past joint agreements between
Europe and Africa
Cotonou Agreement remains in place as the main legal framework
of EC-Africa development cooperation – but more limited as does
not cover EU MS programmes
Key Innovations related to the JAES
• Treating Africa as one
• Continent to Continent Dialogue
• Conscious attempt to address lack of policy
complementarity (between EC, EU member-states
different policies)
• Shared global positions between the continents
• The African Union as the interlocutor
• Clear institutional innovations (new Joint Africa-EU
structures)
• Moving beyond traditional development issues to global
issues
Joint Africa-EU Strategy
Action Plan and Thematic Areas
1. Peace and security
2. Democratic governance and human rights
3. Trade, regional integration and infrastructure
4. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
5. Energy
6. Climate change
7. Migration, mobility and employment
8. Science, information society and space
•
Membership of thematic partnerships drawn from EU MS,
African states and European and African CSOs
•
Priority actions and Joint Africa-EU Expert Groups (JEGs) for each
thematic partnership
•
JEGs each co-chaired by an African & a European MS or Commission
Key Developments in the JAES Process in 2008
A year of primarily setting up the Institutional Architecture (the main
achievement of 2008)
Beginning of a Continent to Continent Dialogue
Redefining old Joint Structures – EU-Africa Ministerial Troika’s, EU
Commission to AU Commission meetings, Joint Africa-EU Task Force
New Joint Structures - Joint Expert Working Groups for each thematic
Partnership (JEGs), African and EU Implementation Teams, enlarged
Joint Africa-EU Task Force , Joint Meetings of EU Political and Security
Committee and AU Peace and Security Committee
Joint EU-Africa Declaration on Climate Change
What is happening with the JAES in 2009
– 1st Semester:
» Clarifying of positions and priorities (African and European
Implementation teams in each thematic area and JEGs)
» Joint Africa-EU Task Force (17-18 March 2009) widening its membership
beyond the two Commissions to JEG groups (Member States)
» JEGs 2nd meetings finalized “Priorities and Action Plan” in a “Road Map”
(28 April 2009)
» Joint Africa-EU Ministerial Troika (28 April 2009)
– 2nd Semester
» Finance seminar (Sept 09)
» Possible European and African CSO Forum (Sept-Oct 09?)
» JEGs 3rd meetings (Oct-Nov 09)
» College to College meeting (Oct. 09)
» Mid Term Review of Progress (Oct-Nov 09)
» Ministerial Troika (beginning of Nov 09)
Main Challenges - Going Forward for the (JAES)
1.
One year is too early to judge progress – but judging will start
nonetheless
2.
Overcoming wider mistrust through dialogue and deed
3.
Resourcing (Money!) the Strategy and its thematic partnerships
4.
Complementarity with other (EU and bilateral) policy
frameworks
5.
Asymmetric partnership between Africa and Europe
6.
African and European political integration processes
7.
Extending ownership beyond the Brussels – Addis Ababa axis
8.
Building critical awareness from progress
9.
Management of an inclusive process
10. Being clear about the consequences of failure
The RECs and the JAES process
•
Officially all RECs invited to be part of JAES implementation
•
Little participation at start → African co-chairs and AU agreed to
mobilize RECs
•
2009: COMESA, ECCAS, SADC, EAC have all announced their
interest in several partnerships
•
RECs mentioned in general terms in all EU-Africa documents
•
Roadmaps of different partnerships highlight where RECs are
specifically involved (projects)
•
However: no RECs in official JAES meetings besides some
engagement in JEGs
Using the RECs’ expertise in the JAES
REC areas of work & expertise
JAES partnerships
Peace & security: APSA
1. Peace and Security
Economic development:
Trade, regional integration,
infrastructure, water, energy
3. Trade, Regional Integration &
Infrastructure and
5. Energy
MDGs/Poverty:
Pandemics, food security
4. MDGs
Environment & climate issues:
aridity, agriculture
6. Climate Change
Migration
7. Migration, Mobility &
Employment
RECs involvement in JAES partnerships: 2 cases
• Peace and Security Partnership:
– APSA & Regional Stand-By Brigades central to the partnership
– Operationalisation of APSA requires strong cooperation between
AU and RECs – MoU on APSA – respective responsibilities,
needs, action plans
– JAES provides framework for EU MS support to APSA
– EU GSC visiting ECOWAS, ECCAS, NARC, SADC
• Trade, Regional Integration & Infrastructure Partnership:
– Implementation of Minimum Integration Programme (MIP) by
RECs: discussed by Conference of African Ministers in Charge
of Regional Integration (COMAI)
– RECs involvement in harmonisation of standards & norms
– Monitoring of EPAs and discussion on Aid for Trade
Joint Africa-EU Strategy
Partnerships
RECs in revised African Expert
Groups (20.05.09)
1. Peace and security
COMESA, ECCAS, SADC
2. Democratic governance and
human rights
COMESA, SADC
3. Trade, regional integration and
infrastructure
COMESA, EAC, ECCAS, SADC
4. Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs)
SADC
5. Energy
COMESA, ECCAS, SADC
6. Climate change
COMESA, ECCAS, SADC
7. Migration, mobility and
employment
COMESA
8. Science, information society and
space
COMESA
Promoting Involvement of RECs in JAES
• Promote active participation in Expert Groups
• Attend official meetings of the JAES structures such as: the
AU-PSC / EU-COPS meeting, Joint Task Force, etc
• Consider how best to circulate information and encourage
involvement
• Close liaison with AUC essential
• Enhanced role of the REC Liaison Officers at the AUC to
cover JAES work systematically?
• Link with EU through EC delegations & MS missions
• Also link up with other JAES actors in Africa: civil society,
parliamentarians, etc
• Official JAES website: http://africa-eu-partnership.org/
Thank You
• More information can be obtained from our
website:
– www.europafrica.net and
– www.europafrique.net
• Or through email:
– James Mackie [email protected],
– Veronika Tywuschik [email protected] &
– Andrew Sherriff [email protected]
• Or from the official JAES website:
– www.africa-eu-partnership.org