International cooperation with Africa
The framework for strategic partnership between the EU and Africa has a focus on sustainable development and environmental issues. Access to reliable Earth observation information is a major priority for developing countries as this can give early warning of natural disasters, improve food security and help in crisis management. The extension of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS) in Africa will significantly enhance air and rail security throughout the continent.
The Africa-EU Partnership on Science, Information Society and Space aims to foster cooperation on space applications and technology to support Africa's sustainable development. Space-based systems increasingly play a key role in achieving Africa's development goals, in particular in allowing more effective monitoring of climate change and helping to ensure food security and water supply.
GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) and Africa started to take shape at the 2nd Africa-Europe Summit in Lisbon, following an African request to extend the European Earth Observation System initiative GMES to Africa. The objective is to observe the African continent from Space, to support development policies for the ultimate benefit of the African citizen. Monitoring of natural resources, water and desertification, giving advance warning to decision makers to counter effects of climate change, support to peace keeping operations, conflict prevention and response to natural and human-made disasters are areas where GMES and Africa can bring added value. In November 2010 Africans and Europeans agreed on a high-level strategic document for the implementation of GMES and Africa clearly aiming at a long-term cooperation in Space between the two Continents. In this context, Europe will continue to support capacity building in Africa and will facilitate access to GMES services and data relevant to development policies, also as its key contribution to the Global initiative on an Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
The African Union and European Union are cooperating on how to improve satellite navigation in African skies to enhance safety and contribute to Africa's economic development. For this purpose the EU and AU are working together to extend the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS) across the whole of the African continent. This system which has been operational in Europe since 2009, could be deployed across Africa from 2014. EGNOS would dramatically improve air and maritime transport safety in Africa. It will bring significant benefits for African sustainability in other areas, notably in agriculture, mining, energy and land management.
In addition, the European Commission promotes cooperation with Africa in the space domain via its management of economic development programmes. For example, the Programme for African Monitoring of the Environment for Sustainable Development (AMESD) is financed through the European Development Fund. The AMESD initiative will provide decision makers in Africa with the space-derived environmental data needed to improve management of natural resources such as water, croplands, natural habitats and marine resources. The AMESD Programme's key players include the European Commission, EUMETSAT, the African Union Commission, the five participating African Regional Economic Communities and the Secretariat of the ACP Group of States. See more details on the Africa and Europe in Partnership website
The EU Space research programme (seventh Framework Programme on Research and Development) has promoted cooperation with African academic and other
The EU Space research programme (seventh Framework Programme on Research and Development) has promoted cooperation with African academic and other bodies by funding projects to develop expertise in space science and technology, the protection of the environment and the better management of natural resources. For example, the "WatPLAN" project which includes four African partners, is developing Earth observation from space to improve the planning of water allocation in the Incomati Basin. The "Malareo" project which includes three African partners, is using Earth observation data to help develop ways of controlling and managing malaria in Africa. And the "REDDINESS" project which includes three African partners, is supporting Earth observation-driven forest and carbon monitoring in Central Africa for reduction of emissions through deforestation and degradation ("REDD").
RECENT EVENTS
On 15 September 2010 a high level political meeting took place on space cooperation and Africa. This was chaired jointly by Antonio Tajani, European Commission Vice President in charge of industry and entrepreneurship, and Professor Jean-Pierre Ezin, human resources, science and technology Commissioner of the African Union. Also there, were Sabine Laruelle, Belgian science minister, Mr. Alhaji Abukabar, Nigerian Minister of Science and Technology, Jean-Jacques Dordain, director general of the European Space Agency and Lars Prahm, director general of the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), among others.
African space agency in the pipeline
Vice President Tajani welcomed the recent decision taken by African Communications Ministers to have the AU commission lead a feasibility study on the creation of an African space agency. “This would place Africa firmly among those nations which master space applications and in doing so stem the flow of Africa’s best researchers to other continents,” he underlined.
Such an agency could provide significant added value by closely coordinating African space activities and by encouraging local capacity building. Commissioner Ezin pointed out that South Africa, Egypt, Algeria and Nigeria have already developed their own space programmes and have adequate infrastructures.
The European Commission, the European space agency and EUMETSAT all indicated their readiness to offer their expertise and experience in support of the project.
Pan-African university space science institute
The 15 September high-level meeting also discussed the African Union initiative for a pan-African university space sciences institute. The setting up of this institute will allow for the promotion of space science in Africa by strengthening cooperation among universities and between universities and industry. The European Commission will explore how to make available for the benefit of this project its significant networks of research contacts. The experience and know how of the Commission in setting up and running the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, should also be made available.
Following the high-level discussion, Vice President Tajani and Commissioner Ezin made a joint statement on the outcome of the meeting and the way forward.
