José Manuel Durão Barroso President of the European Commission From working for Africa to working with Africa: an EU/Africa partnership for the 21st century EU/Africa Summit Lisbon, 8 December 2007 - Main contents

SPEECH/07/801

José Manuel Durao Barroso

President of the European Commission

From working for Africa to working with Africa: an EU/Africa partnership for the 21 st century

EU/Africa Summit

Lisbon, 8 December 2007

Excelências,

Ilustres Convidados,

Minhas Senhoras e meus Senhores,

A realizaçao da Cimeira EU-Africa é a confirmaçao de como é importante e próxima a relaçao entre a Uniao Europeia e Africa.

Quero agradecer especialmente à Presidência Portuguesa do Conselho da Uniao Europeia sem a qual hoje nao teríamos esta oportunidade de, ao mais alto nível, definirmos uma estratégia conjunta para os dois continentes

Dispomos dos elementos necessários para fazer ascender as relaçoes entre a Uniao Europeia e Africa a um nível estratégico e adequado aos novos desafios do século XXI.

De facto muita coisa mudou desde o Cairo até Lisboa. A Uniao Europeia passou de 15 a 27 Estados- Membros. Assumimos responsabilidades em novos domínios, como a energia e a luta contra as alteraçoes climáticas. Esperamos em breve ter um novo Tratado que reforçará ainda mais a capacidade de acçao da Uniao Europeia.

A Africa também sofreu profundas alteraçoes. Assistimos à criaçao da Uniao Africana e ao lançamento do NEPAD, a Nova Parceria para o Desenvolvimento de Africa. Constatamos hoje uma mudança de atitude radical na forma de encarar a boa governaçao, as questoes da paz e da segurança. Apesar de problemas persistentes e nomeadamente situaçoes inaceitáveis em termos de pobreza absoluta, Africa conhece agora um crescimento económico sustentado e tem vindo a assumir uma importância geo-estratégica crescente.

Por último, registo as rápidas mutaçoes do mundo em que vivemos. Muitos dos desafios que hoje enfrentamos - segurança, alteraçoes climáticas, migraçoes em massa, e pandemias como a Sida, a malária e a tuberculose - ignoram fronteiras e exigem respostas transnacionais.

Ladies and gentlemen, Excellencies,

No-one has any doubts about the importance of this Summit.

This is not about what Europe can do for Africa or vice-versa, but about what we can do together. After all, we are building on ancient links.

Thanks to the Joint Africa-EU Strategy - and I am proud that the European Commission was the initiator of this approach - we have a shared vision and common policy framework in place to deliver the full potential of this partnership.

Let me be quite clear: the achievements of the past will not be undone, aid policies and instruments that have proven their efficiency will continue. The EU will respect its commitment to the Millennium Development Goals, and will continue its leadership role as the largest provider of development aid in the world.

But imagine what we can achieve together in the future. Imagine if we showed the world this week that the EU and Africa are ready for the next step. Imagine if we showed that with 1.5 billion people and 80 countries - almost half the UN membership! - we can make a real impact, both regionally and as global partners.

This is important, because we are facing an increasing number of global challenges that require a partnership approach. Let me pick out just two, as an example.

First, climate change. An alliance on climate change will have beneficial effects on both continents. Jointly we could: support adaptation to the effects of climate change, some of them , like desertification, so devastating in Africa - including for family-based agriculture; take initiatives to reduce the risk of natural disasters; and promote equitable participation in the global carbon market.

Europe has what is perhaps the most ambitious agenda for tackling climate change, while many African countries risk being among the worst affected especially some poor countries of Africa. It is to both our advantages to develop common positions and defend them in the international arena, beginning this week with the negotiations in Bali for an ambitious post-2012 climate agreement.

A second challenge is to harness the potential of globalisation to deliver sustainable growth and employment.

To get the most from globalisation for both Africans and Europeans, we must free the dynamism of our entrepreneurs; attract new investment; develop infrastructure, and build strong regional markets that can compete with the best in the world, as a basis for achieving sustainable development and fostering economic and social cohesion.

We do not want globalisation built on commodity booms or on abusive sweatshops. We want a fair and sustainable globalisation, which benefits all our peoples in Africa and Europe.

The Economic Partnership Agreements that we are currently negotiating, and in many cases already concluding, also here in Lisbon, will help to do all these things. They will turn our trading relationship into a healthy, diversified and development-oriented partnership, anchored in a gradual integration of Africa into the global trading system.

The Economic Partnership Agreements are therefore not only trade agreements; they constitute the key instrument of a reinforced economic and political agenda. They are tools at the service of our common development goals.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Excellencies,

Today our relationship is a mature one, which allows and implies that we can discuss openly topics of common concern. This includes naturally the humanitarian situation in Darfur or human rights respect in Zimbabwe.

Africa and Europe should now able to discuss human rights and good governance in a true spirit of partnership.

And, frankly, I hope that those who fought for independence and for freedom of their countries now accept the freedom for their own citizens.

Mesdames et Messieurs, Excellences,

Pour moi-même et pour la Commission que je préside, l'Afrique c'est la priorité. La Commission européenne accorde une grande importance à la relation avec notre institution sour, la Commission africaine. Et d'ailleurs en 2006 la Commission européenne s'est réunie pour la première fois hors de l'Europe à Adis Abeba, à l'invitation du Président Konaré.

Ma vision pour l'Europe et l'Afrique est celle d'une vraie relation d'égal à égal, fondée sur la confiance, le respect et la responsabilité. Elle est bâtie sur des partenariats élargis, au tour de réseaux qui s'établissent à tous les niveaux: nos Gouvernements et nos Parlements, mais aussi les autorités locales, les organisations syndicales, les Organisations non-gouvernementales, les créateurs et les hommes et femmes de culture, les organisations de jeunesse et, aussi, tout le secteur privé, qui a un rôle clé à jouer dans le développement économique.

Ici à Lisbonne, où l'on comprend bien que le rapport entre l'Afrique et l'Europe est avant tout un rapport humain, nous devons construire un partenariat qui soit plus qu'une relation politique ou diplomatique. Notre rapport avec l'Afrique est une véritable cause qui doit mobiliser nos sociétés et notamment la jeunesse qui n'accepte pas l'injustice qui a tellement frappée l'Afrique.

Alors tous ensemble profitons de ce sommet pour dépasser les vieux stéréotypes et pour faire pleinement fructifier l'immense potentiel que promet ce partenariat stratégique.

Merci.