Africa

EU Cooperation with African countries and the African Union (AU) is based on two distinct frameworks: namely (a) the Partnership Agreements with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states and (b) the Joint Africa-EU strategy. The Partnership Agreement, which was signed in Cotonou (Benin) in 2000 between the EU and the ACP States and which has formed the legal foundation of the political, economic and development dimensions of the partnership for over 20 years, is in the process of being replaced by a completely new agreement that was signed in Samoa on 15 November 2023. Originally, the Cotonou Agreement was due to expire at the end of 2020, but it has been extended, most recently until December 2023, as the signature of a new agreement, negotiated to modernise and upgrade the partnership was blocked in the Council of the EU for several years. The Joint Africa-EU strategy has been implemented through multiannual roadmaps and action plans adopted at each Africa-EU summit. At the last EU-AU summit held in February 2022 in Brussels, EU and African leaders agreed on a joint vision for a renewed partnership based on solidarity, security, peace, sustainable development and shared prosperity. The EU is Africa’s biggest donor of development assistance, which is provided through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe.In her State of the Union speech in September 2023, Commission President von der Leyen announced that the EU should develop a ‘mutually beneficial partnership which focuses on common issues for Europe and Africa’ and work on a new strategic approach with Africa.