Joint AfricaEU Strategy JAES State of Play An Independent Perspective from Europe Veronika Tywuschik

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Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES) State of
PlayAn Independent Perspective from
EuropeVeronika Tywuschik James Mackie (ECDPM)
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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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• 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

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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 Troikas, 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

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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)

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Main Challenges - Going Forward for the (JAES)

• One year is too early to judge progress but
  judging will start nonetheless
• Overcoming wider mistrust through dialogue and
  deed
• Resourcing (Money!) the Strategy and its thematic
  partnerships
• Complementarity with other (EU and bilateral)
  policy frameworks
• Asymmetric partnership between Africa and Europe
• African and European political integration
  processes
• Extending ownership beyond the Brussels Addis
  Ababa axis
• Building critical awareness from progress
• Management of an inclusive process
• Being clear about the consequences of failure

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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

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Using the RECs expertise in the JAES
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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

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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-partners
  hip.org/

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Thank You

• More information can be obtained from our
  website
• www.europafrica.net and
• www.europafrique.net
• Or through email
• James Mackie jm_at_ecdpm.org,
• Veronika Tywuschik vt_at_ecdpm.org
• Andrew Sherriff as_at_ecdpm.org
• Or from the official JAES website
• www.africa-eu-partnership.org