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(06/05/10) EU Development Commissioner visits the African Union
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By courtesy AUC |
Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Development, is on his first official visit to Ethiopia on 6 to 8 May 2010. He will visit the headquarters of the African Union where he will be welcomed by Mr Jean Ping, Chairperson of the African Union Commission and other Commissioners of the African Union. He will meet Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and other government Ministers, as well as representatives of Ethiopian civil society.
At the EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon in December 2007, the two continents forged a new partnership aimed at facing common challenges together. The Joint EU-Africa Strategy enables the two continents to work together on global issues ranging from climate change and energy, to migration, peace and security, trade and regional integration. Beyond Institutions, the strategy involves civil society and stresses the important people-to-people links.
The next EU-Africa Summit is scheduled to take place on 29-30 November 2010. Preparations include a meeting between two Commissions in early June. The Summit should agree a new Action Plan for the years 2011 and beyond, building on the successes of the 8 Partnerships.
Commissioner Piebalgs said: "Europe's relationship with Africa is genuinely geo-strategic. The continent-to-continent partnership goes beyond aid and beyond development – it is a framework for Europe and Africa to address together global challenges"
EU-Ethiopia relations
The Commissioner's visit to Ethiopia is an opportunity for high-level political dialogue with the Prime Minister. An EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) is being deployed for the elections in Ethiopia scheduled to take place on 23 May 2010. Led by Mr Thijs Berman, Member of the European Parliament, the EU EOM is a contribution by the European Union to strengthening democracy in Ethiopia.
The EU EOM will stay in the country after the elections to assess the post-election period. The European Commission has made available up to € 8 million from the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), for this mission.
Beyond political relations, trade ties and people-to-people links, Ethiopia is the EU's most important cooperation partner in sub-Saharan Africa, with aid from the Commission and Member States totalling almost €870 million in 2008. The European Commission's aid programme is built around three priority sectors, namely transport and regional integration, rural development and food security as well as macroeconomic support and governance. Over the 6 years 2008-13, Ethiopia has an indicative allocation of €644 million under the European Development Fund to address these priorities.
The Commissioner will also take this occasion to sign four financing agreements for a total amount of €27.8 million with Ato Sufian Ahmed, Ethiopian Minister of Finance and Economic Development. These will focus on support for agricultural marketing development, improving and integrating animal health services, women's empowerment and gender equality and support for the justice sector.
