From 17 to 18 February, the 6th AU-EU Summit took place in Brussels. On this occasion, AU and EU leaders were supposed to agree on a common vision for a renewed partnership. Originally planned for 2020 and postponed several times due to the pandemic, the meeting was supposed to set the framework and priorities for European-African relations in the coming years.
In addition to the important topics of security and climate policy, a comprehensive and ambitious investment package of around 150 billion euros within the framework of the European Global Gateway Initiative was also on the agenda of the talks. With this, the EU wants to improve the recently strained relations and counter China’s increasing influence. However, the issue of vaccine production and distribution, and with it the handling of Covid vaccine patents, could not be solved at the summit either. Initial reactions to the summit from the media and civil society were also subdued, given the lack of concrete results.
Where do relations between the African Union and the European Union stand after the 6th Summit? What were the most important results of the summit? On which topics was there agreement and which issues remain contentious? To what extent was the summit successful in contributing to a new strategic partnership to jointly address global challenges? What are the consequences of the current war in Ukraine for the results of the summit and African-European relations? What are the next steps and what are the consequences for European, but also German Africa policy?
These and other questions were at the centre of the online discussion hosted by the German Africa Foundation and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
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Programme:
Introduction:
Hildegard Bentele MEP, Member of the EPP-Group in the European Parliament
Discussion:
H.E. Ambassador Ahmat Awad Sakine, Â Permanent Representative of the African Union to the EU
Hildegard Bentele MEP, Member of the EPP-Group in the European Parliament
Paul Renier, Deputy Head of Unit Strategic Partnerships with Africa, Directorate-General International Partnerships of the European Commission
Dr Benedikt Erforth, Senior Researcher, German Development Institute
Cynthia Chigwenya, African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace and Pogramme Coordinator, Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation Office South Africa
Closing Remarks:
Dr Stefan Friedrich, Head of Department Subsahara-Africa, Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation
Moderation:
Sabine Odhiambo, Secretary-General, German Africa Foundation