CSD on EU-Africa trade and investment relations

• Date: 24/11/2021, 10:00-12:00
• Location: WEBEX

Meeting details

Registration closes on: 19/11/21 at 12:00

Please note that we have moved to a new registrations system.

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The aim of this meeting is to update EU civil society on the latest developments in EU-Africa trade relations and exchange views on EU trade policy in Africa.

The Trade Policy Review Communication published by the European Commission in February 2021 confirmed that Africa is of particular importance to the EU’s trade policy. It proposed to enhance further sustainable trade and investment links both between the EU and Africa and in Africa itself, strengthening also existing regional integration processes.
 
To follow up on the four headline actions on Africa included in this new trade strategy and building on the EU’s five existing Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) that are being implemented with 14 African countries, the EU is working to step up its engagement through e.g. Africa negotiations on the deepening/modernisation of the current EU-ESA EPA, Angola’s accession to the EU-SADC EPA and the sustainable investment initiative for Africa with a current focus on the negotiation of investment facilitation agreements to improve the investment climate and support sustainable development.  The headline actions also constitute a good basis to work on the trade aspects of the African Union-EU Summit in early 2022 as well as on the Business Forum to be held in the margins of the Summit.

The Africa-Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs of September 2018 and the Communication Towards a Comprehensive Strategy with Africa of March 2020 are key markers of the EU’s relation with Africa. The economic pillar of the latter identifies trade – alongside regional and continental economic integration – as major elements to promote the sustainable development of African countries.

Speakers
Head of Unit, African, Caribbean and Pacific, Overseas Countries and Territories, Directorate-General for Trade, European Commission.

Moderator
Civil Society Coordination - Transparency, Civil society and Communication Unit, Directorate-General for Trade.

Agenda

1. EU-Africa trade relations: where do we come from? Where are we heading to?
2. Why is Africa important for Europe? Our vision in the Trade Policy Review.
3. The future of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with Africa.
4. Synergies with the African Continental Free Trade Area.
5. EPAs: Sustainability agenda.
6. Civil society and business involvement.
7. Open discussion with stakeholders

The meeting will take place via WEBEX. Access code and password will be sent to registered participants. We would be grateful if participants could launch their WEBEX connection at least 30 minutes in advance of the meeting so that any technical problems can be arranged in time before the meeting.

Related documents

• Presentation of CSD meeting on EU-Africa trade and investment relations, 25/11/2021