Africa–European Union (EU) Partnership

The AU–EU Partnership, in its current form, was launched with the first Africa–EU Summit in April 2000, held in Cairo, Egypt. Five summits have been held, most recently in November 2017 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The Partnership’s stated vision is to: reinforce political relations; strengthen and promote issues of common concern; promote effective multilateralism; and promote people-centred partnerships. Activities are based on the Joint Africa–Europe Strategy, which was adopted by Heads of State and Government at the 2007 Summit, in Lisbon, Portugal; the Joint Road Map 2014–17, which was adopted at the 2014 Summit; and a declaration adopted at the November 2017 Summit. Partnership mechanisms exist at several levels including Heads of State summits, ministerial meetings, Commission-to-Commission meetings, and other forums for civil society, the private sector and parliamentarians. The next Summit is expected to be held in 2020.

In 2019, the AU was working towards negotiating a new partnership agreement with the EU post-Cotonou 2020 (see Assembly/AU/Dec.715 (XXXII)). Cotonou is an agreement between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states that was signed in Cotonou, Benin, in 2000 for a 20-year period. (See Assembly/AU/Dec.694(XXXI) of July 2018.)