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EU-Africa e-alert
This e-alert aims to provide quick and regular information and analysis on the decisions and processes that impact on the implementation of the new EU Strategy towards Africa. This newsletter is part of a project funded by the European Commission and implemented by ECORYS, aiming at reinforcing the coordination, complementarity and coherence (the “three Cs”) of EU action towards Africa. This first e-alert focuses primarily on the EU and AU levels. But it is expected that in the future information and analysis concerning sub-regional, national and local levels would be provided as well, since this newsletter is expected to be a living document and is meant to offer stakeholders the opportunity to share information and exchange points of view. Please do not hesitate to send interesting links and articles which can contribute to enriching this e-alert, in particular by African partners who can contribute to the AU news section and provide an African perspective on the follow up of the EU Strategy towards Africa. Contact: [email protected]. Please also send a mail to this address if you want to unsubscribe from this e-alert.
I AU news: focus on the Banjul SummitThe editorial below is a reflection on the 7th Summit of the African Union and its impact on the relationship between the EU and Africa with a particular focus on the three following themes: the rationalization of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the governance of the African Union and the rise of “South South” relations.
II EU news
1. JOINT ACP-EC COUNCIL OF MINISTERS DECISION OVER THE 10TH EDF......................42. EPA NEGOTIATIONS...............................................................................................................43. NEGOTIATION OF INSTRUMENTS OF EC EXTERNAL AID................................................54. PUBLICATION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT 2006 ON THE EC’S DEVELOPMENT POLICY
AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE IN 2005..................................55. EU PLEDGES TOWARDS AFRICA.........................................................................................66. EU SUPPORT TO AFRICAN UNION MISSION IN SUDAN (AMIS).........................................67. A NEW EU-SOUTH AFRICA STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP....................................................78. COUNCIL MEETINGS: FOCUS ON THE MILITARY OPERATION IN THE DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF CONGO............................................................................................................79. THE PRIORITIES OF THE FINNISH PRESIDENCY................................................................710. MIGRATION.............................................................................................................................. 7
III EU-AU relations and follow-up of the EU Strategy towards Africa
1. DARFUR (SUDAN)................................................................................................................... 82. MIGRATION: FOCUS ON THE EURO-AFRICA CONFERENCE ON MIGRATION AND
DEVELOPMENT IN RABAT, 10-11 JULY 2006.......................................................................83. TRADE NEGOTIATIONS: FOCUS ON THE DOHA ROUND...................................................94. FULL COOPERATION WITH MAURITANIA RESUMES WITH A € 66 M ROAD PROJECT. .95. THE EU STRATEGY TOWARDS AFRICA: NEWS AND COMMENTS...................................9
Editors: Jean Bossuyt ([email protected]) and Marie-Laure de Bergh ([email protected]). Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent any official view of the European Commission.
EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006 1
I AU news: focus on the Banjul Summit
EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006 2
1. Marie-Laure de Bergh, ECDPM, editorial on “The Banjul summit: what consequences for the EU-Africa relationship?”, July 2006
The editorial below is a reflection on the 7th Summit of the African Union and its impact on the relationship between the EU and Africa with a particular focus on the three following themes: the rationalization of the
Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the governance of the African Union and the rise of “South South” relations. http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Download.nsf/0/EB0BEF74CFC7D071C12571B8002EBA59/$FILE/The%20Banjul%20summit%20editorial%20-%20final%20pdf%20version.pdf
2. Other related articles and websites Official Summit Website of the AU agenda, decisions and declarations taken at the Summit, press releaseshttp://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Conferences/Past/2006/July/summit/summit.htm
Official Summit Website of The Gambiahttp://www.aubjl2006.gm/
Africa: AU launches people’s courthttp://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54369
AU panel wants African court for Habrehttp://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/au_panel_wants_african_court_for_habre/
African Civil Society Organisations’ Declaration and Recommendation to the 7th Summit of the African Union http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/index.php/AUMONITOR/comments/african_csos_declaration_and_recommendation_to_the_7th_summit_of_the_africa
African leaders want Nepad, AU integratedhttp://www.afrimap.org/newsarticle.php?id=534
Banjul Summit fails to adopt the Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governancehttp://www.afrimap.org/newsarticle.php?id=515
AU Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa Eve Odete, part of the SOAWR coalition delegation, reports back on the events in Banjul where Niger's rejection of the AU Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa was roundly condemned.http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/35712
3. Peace and Security: Sudan and Somalia
The African Union has insisted its peacekeeping mission in Sudan's Darfur region will end in three months' time.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5124608.stm
The African Union and western diplomats have agreed to send a team to Somalia to assess the possibility of deploying peacekeepers there.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5093494.stm
AU Peace and Security Council4 August 2006
EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006 3
Press statement on the outcome of the Extraordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of IGAD on Somalia, held in Nairobi on 1st August 2006http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Conferences/Past/2006/August/psc/4AUG/Press%20statment%20Somalia%20(Eng.).doc
4. Adoption of the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption
The African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption was adopted by the Second Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union in Maputo, Mozambique, in July 2003. Since the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria deposited its instrument of ratification on 6th July 2006, becoming the fifteenth country to do so, and in conformity with Article 23 (2), the Convention entered into force on 5th August 2006, 30 days after the deposit of the fifteenth instrument of ratification.
AU Commission, 4 August 2005 http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/Conferences/Past/2006/August/Legal/NV%20to%20M%20States%20Entry%20into%20force%20-%20Corruption.doc
5. For regular news on the African Union
http://www.africa-union.org
http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/
www.iss.co.za
http://www.afrimap.org/librarySearchDisplay.php
http://allafrica.com/
http://www.panapress.com
EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006 4
EU-Africa e-alert No. 1 - August 2006 5
II EU news
For more news and follow-up on the EU development policy, see Melissa Julian’s weekly e-alert. Registration on ECDPM’s website at www.ecdpm.org
For more news and follow-up on EU-ACP trade relations, see www.acp-eu-trade.org
1. Joint ACP-EC Council of Ministers decision over the 10th EDF
The amount of the 10th EDF has been agreed upon by ACP countries and the European community at the EU-ACP Joint Council in Papua-New Guinea for the period 2008-2013. Further comments on this decision will be available in the next edition of this e-alert.
Decision No 1/2006 of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers of 2 June 2006 specifying the multi-annual financial framework for the period 2008-2013 and modifying the revised ACP-EC Partnership Agreementhttp://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/06/st02/st02111.en06.pdf
Decision No 2/2006 of the ACP-EC Council of Ministers of 2 June 2006 onre-assigning part of the reserve of the long-term development envelope of the 9th European Development Fund (EDF)http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/06/st02/st02112.en06.pdf
Austrian State Secretary Hans Winkler at the ACP-EU Council of Ministers meeting in Papua New Guinea on 1 and 2 June 2006http://www.eu2006.at/en/News/Press_Releases/May/3105WinklerAKP.html
2. EPA Negotiations
EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has met ACP Trade Ministers in Brussels on the 28th of June. Although development funding is not a part of the EPA negotiation, Mandelson assured ACP Ministers that EPA's are a central priority in the 22.7 billion euro 10th European Development Fund. Mandelson also said that if amounts available were not sufficient to address EPA requirements, then funding could be reviewed.http://www.acp-eu-trade.org/library/files/Mandelson_EN_280606_EC_Word-Partnership-in-EPA-not-there-by-accident.pdf
Rémi Lang, ATPC, “Renegotiating GATT Article XXIV - a priority for African countries engaged in North-South trade agreements.”, February 2006 This paper reviews the current WTO negotiations on Article XXIV of GATT and how they could impact African and other developing countries. These negotiations are crucial for African countries, as they will set the parameters under which North-South Regional Trade Agreements such as EPAs can be formulated.http://www.uneca.org/atpc/Work%20in%20progress/33.pdf
EU Member States discuss ACP-EC statement on the EPA review process, 14 June 2006.The EU Council ACP Working Group discussed this week the draft ACP-EC statement on the EPA review process under Article 37.4 of the Cotonou Agreement. Several EU Member States proposed amendments to make sure the review is completed before the negotiations. The final text is to be presented to the Joint Ministerial Trade Committee meeting to be held on 28 June in Geneva.http://www.acp-eu-trade.org/index.php?loc=newsletter/acp-eu-trade/no1-0706.php
3. Negotiation of instruments of EC external aid
The financial instruments include cooperation and development, economic cooperation, European Neighbourhood and Partnership Policy, aid for stability and pre-accession. An additional instrument on human rights has been added by the European Parliament. The instrument for development cooperation and economic cooperation has a budget of €15.1 bn for 2007-13. The three other instruments are for the European Partnership and Neighbourhood programme (€10.5 bn over seven years, the pre-accession instrument (10.2 million) and the stability instrument for dealing with crises and instability in third countries (€2.5 bn). The Development Cooperation Instrument is still under negotiation (it should be finalised by October 2006). African countries will benefit from the Development Cooperation Instrument, the European Neighbourhood Policy Instrument and the Stability Instrument. More complete information will be provided in the next issues.
EU Finnish Presidency to Parliament's Development Committee, 11 July 2006 http://www.dgroups.org/groups/cool/index.cfm?op=dsp_resource_details&resource_id=31426&cat_id=6428
European Parliament Development Committee, Working Document on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2007 -Section III - Commission, 4 July 2006 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/documents/dt/622/622063/622063en.pdf European Parliament legislative resolution on the proposal for regulations of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing an Instrument for Stability and a European Neighborhood Policy Instrument, 6 July 2006http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA-
2006-0307+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=ENandhttp://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA-2006-0306+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&language=EN
EUROSTEP, “The Development Cooperation Instrument. Response to the Presidency proposal . A democratic, efficient and transparent instrument?”, June 2006 http://www.eepa.be/wcm/dmdocuments/BP%2034%20DCI%20Presidency%20proposal-2_.pdf
CIDSE paper on the Stability Instrument: Development objectives or EU security objectives? http://www.cidse.org/docs/200605171213018248.pdf
4. Publication of the Annual Report 2006 on the EC’s Development Policy and the Implementation of External Assistance in 2005
Commission of the European Union, 2006 Annual Report and Annexes, June 2006http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/06/st10/st10875.en06.pdfand http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/06/st10/st10875-ad01.en06.pdf Marie-Laure de Bergh, Jonas Frederiksen, James Mackie, ECDPM comments on the “Annual report 2006 on the EC's Development Policy and the Implementation of External Assistance in 2005”, June 2006The following comments on the Annual Report on the European Commission’s development policy and external assistance’s implementation focus on the structure of the report and the following areas that are defined as priorities for the present Finnish Presidency: policy coherence for development and aid effectiveness.
http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Download.nsf/0/D2D605402174C623C12571B50034B1A5/$FILE/AR%202006%20on%20EC%20Dev%20policy_june%202006.pdf
5. EU pledges towards AfricaEC President Barroso calls on G8 EC President Barroso calls on G8 to lay the foundations for a stable energy future and makes new aid proposal for Africahttp://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/06/970&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
One year on from Gleneagles, a DFID booklet highlights twelve areas - from aid and debt cancellation to fighting disease and promoting business – in which the commitments of the G8 are being followed through by the International community.http://www.research4development.info/PDF/Articles/g8-2006[1].pdf
On June 27th, four leading African and International non-governmental organizations called on African Heads of States, gathering in Banjul for the 7th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU), to hold G8 leaders to account for the promises made last year on Africa. The next G8 Summit will take place on July 15 - 17 in St Petersburg, Russia. http://www.oxfam.org/en/news/pressreleases2006/pr060627_gleneagles
6. EU support to African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS)
General Affairs and External Relations 2744th Council meeting. 17-18 July 2006The Council reiterated the EU's continuing support for the Darfur Peace Agreement and reaffirmed the EU's commitment to support the efforts of the African Union (AU) and the AU mission in Sudan (AMIS) politically and financially as well as through military and police means. It welcomed the AMIS Conference on 18 July in Brussels - a joint AU, UN and EU initiative - as an important opportunity to discuss pressing issues
regarding the mission's political environment as well as to enhance further the effectiveness of EU technical and staff support to AMIS.http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/newsWord/en/gena/90565.doc
European Council – Presidency Conclusions – Declaration on Africa in annex 6, 15/16 June 2006The EU Council adopted a decision on an EU civilian military supporting action to the African Union mission (Amis II) in the Darfur region of Sudan. Under this decision, the financial reference amount of EUR 2 200 000 set out in November last year for the extension of the supporting action, will also cover expenditure for the continuation until 31 October 2006. The Council will evaluate no later than 30 September 2006 whether the EU supporting action should again be continued. The joint action was adopted with the aim of ensuring effective and timely EU assistance to support the Amis II enhancement. The supporting action includes a civilian and a military component. The Council also adopted on 5 July, by written procedure, a joint action revising and renewing, until 28 February 2007, the mandate of the EU Special Representative (EUSR) for Sudan. The financial reference amount for continuation of the joint action is set at EUR 1 million. Since July 2005, Mr. Pekka Haavisto has been the EU Special Representative for the Sudan. The EUSR ensures coherence between the EU's supporting action to Amis II, political efforts to promote peace in Darfur and activities relating to the implementation of the peace agreement as well as policy objectives of the EU towards Sudan.http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/ec/90111.pdfCOUNCIL DECISION implementing Joint Action 2005/557/CFSP on theEuropean Union civilian-military supporting action to the African Union mission in the Darfur region of Sudanhttp://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/06/st11/st11117.en06.pdf
7. A new EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership
Commission proposes to upgrade EU’s relations with South Africa to a Strategic PartnershipEC Press Release http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/06/869&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=enEC Communicationshttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2006/com2006_0347en01.pdfandhttp://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2006/com2006_0348en01.pdf
8. Council Meetings: Focus on the Military operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo
GAERC, 12 June 2006External Relations Conclusions, http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/gena/90014.pdfGeneral Affairs Conclusions http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/gena/90013.pdf
COUNCIL DECISION on the launching of the European Union military operation in support of the United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) during the election process (Operation EUFOR RD Congo), 12 June2006http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2006/l_163/l_16320060615en00160016.pdfCouncil of the EU, EU military operation in support of the MONUC during the election process in RD Congo, 12 June 2006 http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/misc/89983.pdf
9. The priorities of the Finnish Presidency
Official website of the Finnish Presidencyhttp://www.eu2006.fi/en_GB/
CIDSE, “The EU Presidency Outlook for Development: Austrians head for the Finnish”, July 2006 After the EU’s high-profile political commitments on development in 2005, the sign of the Austrian Presidency in the first semester of 2006 was implementation. Finland will place its Presidency under the banner of Policy coherence for development. http://www.cidse.org/docs/[email protected]&password=9999
10. MigrationThe ACP-EU Council, for the first time debated migration within the context of development, concentrating on two aspects: mobility of human resources; links between migration and development.http://www.acpsec.org/en/com/83/accord_10FED_e.htm
III EU-AU relations and follow-up of the EU Strategy towards Africa
1. Darfur (Sudan)
An International Conference on Darfur took place on 18 July 2006 in Brussels.The conference, which follows the one held on 8 March, was organised by the EU together with the United Nations and the African Union with a twofold objective: to support the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement, and to enhance support for the African Union Mission in Darfur (AMIS). The Conference was structured in three successive "baskets": security; political; and pledging. Donor States pledged some 200 million US dollars that were welcomed by the AU, even though it was less than half its estimate of the cost of running an AU peacekeeping force in Darfur until the end of the year.
For the programme of the Conference, see:http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/sg/90538.pdf
Donors pledge new Darfur aid, press for UN force http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/060718174956.q5dnk0hd
Security in Darfur: Donors’ Conference in Brussels fails to take actionThe July 18, 2006 meeting of Western donors in Brussels was touted as a way to address the growing security crisis, but failed in all ways.http://www.sudantribune.com/article.php3?id_article=16749
2. Migration: Focus on the Euro-Africa Conference on Migration and Development in Rabat, 10-11 July 2006
The Conference ended with the adoption of a political declaration and the "Rabat plan of action", which trades African cooperation in helping to restrict migration in return for European development assistance. A significant part of the plan of action focuses on repressive measures, but other measures envisaged by the plan appear to be more on the persuasive side, include boosting development assistance to African economies. The Europeans have promised to give €18 billion ($22.7 billion) to support its African partners in the coming seven-year period.
For the political declaration and the action plan, see the official website of the Euro-Africa Conferencehttp://www.maec.gov.ma/migration/En/conference.htm
Conférence non gouvernementale euro-africaine Rabat 30/6-1/7 2006Statement by European and African NGOs that met on 30 June and 1 July 2006 in Rabat, with a view to presenting their concerns regarding the ministerial conference.http://www.migreurop.org/rubrique188.html
openDEMOCRACY: The Rabat gathering's "plan of action" to control migration flows from south to north is based on a faulty diagnosis and will not succeed even in its own terms, says Gregor Noll.http://www.opendemocracy.net/xml/xhtml/articles/3738.html
3. Trade negotiations: Focus on the Doha Round
Doha Round Suspended indefinitely after G-6 Talks CollapseThe Doha Round of trade negotiations was put into deep freeze on 24 July, after a meeting of ministers from six key trading nations collapsed over divisions on how to cut farm subsidies and tariffs. It is not clear when -- or if -- the talks, which started nearly five years ago, will resume.
http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/06-07-26/story1.htm
PanAfrica: Tough Road for Africa As Trade Talks Crumble The collapse of global trade talks was bad news for Africa, condemning the world's poorest continent to an uncertain future of high tariffs and lagging competitiveness, officials and experts said today.http://allafrica.com/stories/200607250552.html EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson’s reaction to Collapsing Doha RoundWith the Doha Round trade talks suspended indefinitely following the collapse of high-level discussions in Geneva, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson called on 25 July for "extract[ing] from the rubble of the negotiation a significant development package" aimed at benefiting "the most needy developing countries." However, initial reactions from many developing country WTO Members were lukewarm, particularly with regard to continuing negotiations in some areas while those in others are frozen.http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/06-07-26/story2.htm
Recommendations of the WTO Task Force on Aid for Trade, July 2006http://docsonline.wto.org/DDFDocuments/t/WT/AFT/1.doc
For a full coverage of the Aid for Trade debate, you may refer to the August 2006 issue of the acp-eu-trade.org Newsletter here.
4. Full cooperation with Mauritania resumes with a € 66 M road project
The European Commission has allocated over € 66 million to the road project Kaedi-M'Bout-Selibaby-Gouraye in Mauritania, aiming at improving the living conditions of populations in the south of the country. The approval of this financing proposal follows the decision on 29th of May 2006 to fully resume EU aid in response to the progress by the Mauritanian authorities in
implementing their commitments with democracy and the rule of law. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/06/974&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
5. The EU Strategy towards Africa: news and comments
5.1 Launch of the infrastructure partnership
Foreseen in the EU Strategy towards Africa, the infrastructure partnership will be supported by an infrastructure trust fund set up jointly by the EC and the EIB and open to EU Member States.EC fact sheet, July 2006EC fact sheethttp://www.europe-cares.org/africa/docs/infrastructure_partnership_en.pdfEC Communicationhttp://www.europe-cares.org/africa/docs/1327_en.doc
European Commission launches an EU-Africa partnership to develop trans-African connections, July 2006http://ec.europa.eu/comm/development/body/tmp_docs/Pressrelease_13072006_en.pdf#zoom=100
5.2 UK House of Lords report on “The EU and Africa: towards a Strategic Partnership”
The UK House of Lords has just issued its report on the EU and Africa: towards a Strategic Partnership. This report highlights a number of challenges that could hamper the implementation of the EU Strategy towards Africa: “lack of co-ordination between different directorates-general within the Commission, between the Commission and the Council Secretariat and between the EU institutions and the Member States; uncertainty as to sources of funding; and different policies for different regions of Africa. The Strategy stresses the need for African ownership and responsibility for Africa’s own development. Therefore the EU Member States need not
only to work together, but to work with African States and regional organisation. Accordingly the EU’s first priority must be to help build Africans’ capacity to deal with their own affairs such as the promotion of good governance through the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and peacekeeping missions led by the African Union.” The aim of the EU and the AU is to have a joint Strategy for Africa and these challenges will need to be addressed in order for the Strategy to be rightly implemented.http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.com/pa/ld200506/ldselect/ldeucom/206/206i.pdf
5.3. Websites and papers related to the EU Strategy towards Africa
Official Commission websitehttp://ec.europa.eu/comm/development/body/communications/eu_africa_strategy_en.htm
The new EC website on the Europe-Africa Strategy It contains a comprehensive presentation of the EU Strategy for Africa, including new fact sheets in EN and FR on various key aspects of the partnership; key documents from the AU-EU dialogue and information on forthcoming initiatives such as the Business Forum. http://www.europe-cares.org/africa/eu_strategy_en.html
Marie-Laure de Bergh,, ECDPM presentation on “The EU Strategy towards Africa: challenges ahead”, July 2006http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Navigation.nsf/index2?readform&http://www.ecdpm.org/Web_ECDPM/Web/Content/Content.nsf/80ba021853007405c1256c790053145c/0fac755657d69846c12571a900489008?OpenDocumentSan Bilal, ECDPM publication: “EPAs as a development tool for the EU Africa Strategy?”, June 2006 http://www.acp-eu-trade.org/library/library_detail.php?library_detail_id=3116&language=
Final Communique EU - AFRICA Ministerial Troika Meeting Vienna, 8 May 2006In the framework of the EU-Africa dialogue, the sixth Ministerial Meeting of the African and EU Troikas met in Vienna, Austria, on 8 May 2006. Ministers met to assess progress achieved since the 5th Ministerial Troika Meeting in Bamako and to decide on the way forward, looking forward for future EU-Africa meetings. http://doku.cac.at/euafricatroikafinalcommunique.pdf
The Sound of Africa conferenceCivil society comments under the Austrian Presidency on the EU-Africa Strategy,”The EU Africa Strategy- A Way out of Poverty?”, June 2006On the 22-23 of June 2006, during the Austrian EU Presidency, more than 290 participants, from 41 countries across Africa and Europe, met at the international conference „Sound of Africa“ hosted by the Austrian EU-Platform of NGDOs in Vienna. To discuss, whether or not the EU-Africa Strategy has the potential of being a way out of poverty for African countries, and to work on specific recommendations to involve NGOs and other civil society actors in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals were the aims of the conference.http://doku.cac.at/soundofafricareport.pdfand http://www.reichearmewelt.at/english/start.asp?ID=10294&nobackbut=&mh=0,848,1234&showmenu=yesSee also BOND Working Paper, February 2006http://www.bond.org.uk/eu/eupolicy.html#euafricaConcord Working Paper, 2005http://www.concordeurope.org/download.cfm?media=pdfUK&id=1351
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