Europe-Africa: Targeted Policy Advice in the run-up to the EU-AU Summit

In 2020, the nature of the cooperation between the European Union and Africa is negotiated and might profoundly change: a new EU-Sahel Strategy, a new EU-Africa Strategy, the EU-AU summit in autumn, the German Presidency of the Council of the EU, the development of new finance instruments – all against the background of a shaky multilateralism and the challenges posed by the corona crisis. An opportunity to raise the partnership to “a new level”? An opportunity to address not only issues such as security, migration, hunger and poverty but also sustainability, the empowerment of women and youth and fair trade?

In the fifth and concluding online discussion of the series we tried to identify opportunities for targeted policy advice in order to push for a new, just and sustainable European-African partnership. Together with Geert Laporte (ECDPM; ETTG), Tanya Cox (CONCORD) and George Mukundi (Maendeleo Group; University of Cape Town), we discussed and elaborated on priorities and opportunities for a tailored policy advice during the coming months. Based on the findings from the previous sessions and with reference to the broader dynamics of the European-African partnership and the consequences of the pandemic – what is the way ahead?