Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-11-24-Speech-3-372"
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"en.20101124.21.3-372"2
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"Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, I am first of all most grateful to you for offering me the opportunity to speak about the next European Union-Africa summit, which I know is of interest to a great many of you.
Participants in the political dialogue at ministerial level, which took place in Malawi, were able to finalise the summit communiqué, the declaration of Tripoli, and the joint action plan for 2011-2013. The latter represents a solid foundation for our future efforts by ensuring a good balance between traditional development priorities – infrastructure, the Millennium Development Goals; political themes – peace and security, democratic governance and human rights, migration, mobility, jobs; and new promising spheres of cooperation, such as renewable energy, climate change, information technology and space, to mention only a few.
Finally, I should like to say to you, on behalf of President Van Rompuy, that I warmly welcome Parliament’s positive participation in the discussions on the future of relations between Africa and the European Union, and I welcome the meeting between the European Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament, which will be held in Tripoli on 27 November, just before the summit. This meeting will constitute an excellent occasion for drawing up basic recommendations for the debate in plenary which will take place during the summit. I am equally pleased with the tenor of this debate today, and I await your opinions with interest.
If the first summit, held in Cairo in 2000, launched the process of continental cooperation, the second, which took place in Lisbon in 2007, defined the new programme for European Union-Africa relations. The third, in Tripoli, should consolidate our strategic partnership and finally yield concrete results.
It is on the issues of peace and security that the leading role played by the African Union is of the greatest importance. In Sudan, the African Union was the first to deploy a peacekeeping mission. In Darfur, thanks to the panel led by Mr Mbeki, the African Union is taking up a leading global political role. The progress that has recently been made in negotiating a North-South framework agreement is an important step forward towards a peaceful transition. The Union’s deployment in the course of an election observation mission, moreover, clearly emphasises our determination to contribute towards ensuring a peaceful transition in Sudan. In Somalia, AMISOM, the African Union Mission in Somalia, is the only actor present on the ground in Mogadishu.
As far as coups d’état are concerned, the strict zero-tolerance rule applied by the African Union provides protection and plays a decisive role in re-establishing constitutional order. The African Union has become the organisation that establishes norms, not only in this sphere but also in that of political governance, on the African continent and in the process of economic integration. It provides the political framework enabling its member states and regional economic communities to encourage intra-African exchange and transnational infrastructure. The whole of the portfolio of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, including its socio-economic development programme, is currently fully integrated with the African Union.
This internal process goes hand in hand with the reforms put into effect in international governance structures as regards African representation. The African Union is well placed on this issue to coordinate African positions in the international arena. On climate change, for example, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia has been mandated by the African Union to speak on behalf of Africa on the international stage.
The African Union has become indispensable to the European Union in a number of cases for which we need solutions and contributions from Africa, whether it is a case of peacekeeping, migration, drug trafficking, climate change or the International Criminal Court. Africa also offers opportunities that the Union should explore, take for example cooperation in the area of energy relations, the Arms Trade Treaty, and the prospects offered by the private sector, to name only a few. A particular challenge in the framework of European Union-African Union cooperation is clearly linked to the International Criminal Court. Our African partners contributed to its establishment and their cooperation remains essential to this political objective, which is of primary importance to the European Union. They have, however, been critical of the manner in which the affair of President al-Bashir of Sudan has been dealt with, and of the fact that the Security Council did not invoke the suspension procedure, which has led the African Union to distance itself from the Court. As for the Union, we obviously remain wholly in favour of the independence of the Court and we can only leave the matter in the hands of the Security Council as far as a possible suspension procedure is concerned. During the next summit, we shall clearly express our opinion, while knowing perfectly well that the summit will undoubtedly not bring about a change in the position of the African Union, which has also been clearly established.
Europe remains Africa’s most important partner. Political, economic, institutional and development cooperation always exceeds that of any other regional partnership or of any relationship with a national government. However, the Union should not underestimate the rapid growth in the participation of emerging partners. The Union should be pleased with this new context, but since it has an effect on European Union-African relations, we are also asking for a renewed focus on the known elements that constitute our trump cards and bring added value, for better coordination to be ensured and for priority to be given to situations that are of advantage to all.
For the Union, we find ourselves in an institutional situation without equal elsewhere in the world: two Unions that have regional integration as their goal and which wish to contribute to the advent of a multilateral system of global governance. The African Union is watching the creation of the new institutions put in place by virtue of the Treaty of Lisbon with interest. An Africa that is at ease, courted by multiple partners offering for the first time, and indeed the first time in a long while, promising perspectives for growth, will clearly wish to be treated as an equal.
Preparation for the summit is therefore proceeding. Discussions with our Libyan hosts and our opposite numbers from the African Union have been useful. A great number of leaders, from both Europe and Africa, have confirmed that they will be taking part at the highest level. The principal discussions at the summit will be on its central theme: investment, economic growth and job creation, as well as on several associated secondary themes. We hope that these discussions will lead to concrete results."@en1
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