EU-Africa relations: Speech by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the EP plenary

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Ms President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament,

We stand on the eve of the 6th European Union-African Union Summit that will take place in Brussels on the 17th and 18th February. It is a unique occasion that does not happen every day – there has been a delay for years – to place Europe in the centre of the attention of the African partners. To place or to replace, it depends on how you see it. This Summit will be held in a context which is certainly unprecedented: challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic; increased geopolitical landscape, much more competitive; but also presenting opportunities, for example, on what we can do with our recent EU Global Gateway Strategy.

We have been seeing how much interlinked our two continents are. I said in Kenya the other day that the African problems are our problems; that when we try to help them solve their problems, it is not because we are generous, but because their problems are our problems. Let’s see what is happening in the Sahel or what is happening in the Horn of Africa or what is happening everywhere in the continent with respect to the demographic evolution.

We have to look at Africa with a positive eye. Not only through the lens of migration problems. Africa offers countless opportunities, which are opportunities for us also. They have a young and dynamic human potential and they have unlimited possibilities on renewable energies.

If we empower African youth and women, we will be able to promote a more green, digital and equal – because sometimes we just say digital, we have to say green, digital and inclusive, it means equal – growth on both our continents.

At the African Union Summit held on the 5th and 6th February this year, the new Chair, President Macky Sall of Senegal, showed openness to external partners “without exclusivity and provided they are mutually beneficial and respectful of Africa’s development priorities and societal choices”. At the same occasion, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, expressed the hope that Summits with partners will focus on concrete and transformative projects. Concrete, that is what we need to be. And this is the dynamic in which we are inserting this African Union – European Union Summit.

Our objectives in this Summit are based on a clear understanding of our respective and mutual interests. We want to strengthen our cooperation by defining key joint priorities and partnerships for the next decade. We will amplify the scope and focus of the Team Europe approach with the impact of our actions. We have to ensure more visibility to our partners. And, with a strong united response and message underpinned by concrete actions, we will demonstrate that the European Union is Africa’s most trusted partner. We will thereby also counter negative narratives and disinformation about what Europeans are and what Europeans are doing for and with the African people.

Let me quickly go through some specific actions [in] which we are working on.

We are preparing an innovative and forward-looking Joint Declaration, outlining tangible initiatives to be co-owned and implemented jointly, in support of our common strategic vision for 2030.

In particular, we are working with a Team Europe spirit – you know what that means, the European Union institutions and the Member States, all together – on six particular deliverables. Six strands of work to be translated into concrete projects and flagships. I will go through the six of them, just to mention, in order to frame our debate if you wish.

First, an ambitious Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package, taking into account global challenges such as climate change and the current health crisis.

Second, to strengthen the health system.

Third, education systems – big priority.

Fourth, tools and solutions for the Africa – Europe Security and Stability architecture. More and more our relations with Africa have to incorporate the security issues. Because when you see how jihadism is going from the Sahel to the Gulf of Guinea and how instability is wide spreading from Somalia along the Indian Ocean Coast towards Mozambique and the South, more and more we are going to have security concerns to share with them and to help them to face them.

Fifth, an enhanced and reciprocal partnership on migration and mobility.

And sixth, a European Union – African Union initiative for multilateral action on peace, prosperity and the planet.

These are the strands for our work and we have to build, not only on words, but we have to explain the concrete proposals and actions to reinforce our relations.

Yes, I know that so many things have been said or written about this relation. So many critics, sometimes rightfully, sometimes not. The too slow distribution of vaccines or the travel ban that we imposed when the Omicron variant [was] raised by South Africa are good examples of the first – many critics rightfully. On the latter, if I may say so, the new instruments that we are shaping to better answer security needs of our partners are critics which are not adequate.

Summarising, I could say that if we, the European Union and the African Union, do not agree on everything – certainly not – I think that we agree on the essential, and this is enough. It is a good sound basis for a renewed and stronger partnership between us.

Let us see what happens at the Summit. We went to Kigali to prepare this Summit, at the Ministerial level meeting. There were some important disagreements, there were some important concerns. That is the moment to speak to each other frankly and honestly in order to improve our partnership. Because, certainly, we need to solve the problems that African people are suffering. And keep in mind, and this can be our motto: African problems are our problems. When we work to try to solve these problems, we work for ourselves as well.

Looking forward to the debate, Honourable Members.

Thank you.

Source: Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Rwanda