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B100471/2025
B100475/2025
European Parliament resolution on renewing the EU-Africa partnership: building common priorities ahead of the Angola Summit
(2025/2933(RSP))
– having regard to the seventh EU-African Union (AU) Summit, which will take place in Luanda, Angola, on 24 and 25 November 2025,
– having regard to the Partnership Agreement between the EU and its Member States, of the one part, and the Members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), of the other part, also known as the Samoa Agreement, signed on 15 November 2023 and provisionally applied since 1 January 2024, which replaces the Cotonou Agreement and provides the overarching framework for EU-Africa relations through its dedicated Africa-EU Regional Protocol,
– having regard to the Joint Africa-EU Strategy adopted in Lisbon on 9 December 2007, which laid the foundation for a continent-to-continent partnership between the AU and the EU, and to the lessons learned from its implementation,
– having regard to Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, adopted by the AU Assembly on 31 January 2015,
– having regard to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
– having regard to Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;
– having regard to Article 21(2)(d) of the Treaty on European Union;
– having regard to the outcomes of recent Africa-EU summits, in particular that of the sixth EU-AU Summit, which took place in Brussels on 17 and 18 February 2022,
– having regard to the Global Gateway strategy and to the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package announced at the sixth AU-EU Summit, through which the EU committed to mobilising up to EUR 150 billion by 2027 to boost Africa’s capacities in the areas of digital connectivity, transport infrastructure, the energy transition, education, health, and research,
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, amending and repealing Decision No 466/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) 2017/1601 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 480/2009 (NDICI – Global Europe),
– having regard to the development effectiveness principles laid down at the Busan High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in 2011, which build on the aid effectiveness principles set out in the 2005 Paris Declaration on aid effectiveness and the 2008 Accra Agenda for Action;
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Africa-EU relations, in particular its resolution of 25 March 2021 on a new EU-Africa Strategy – a partnership for sustainable and inclusive development,
– having regard to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, which entered into force in 2019,
– having regard to the Abidjan Declaration, which was the outcome of the 4th EU-Africa Youth Summit, held in Abidjan from 9 to 11 October 2017,
– having regard to the outcome document of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, which was held from 30 June to 3 July 2025 (Sevilla Commitment),
– having regard to the Paris Agreement on climate change and to the joint commitments of the EU and African states under it, as well as to the outcomes of recent UN climate change conferences (COPs) relevant to Africa, underlining the importance of cooperation in combating climate change,
– having regard to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity on 19 December 2022,
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
– having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
– having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989,
– having regard to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,
– having regard to the Nairobi Declaration on African Business and Human Rights Forum of October 2024, which commits to responsible business conduct that is aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,
– having regard to the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance;
– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the seventh EU-AU Summit, taking place in Luanda, Angola, on 24 and 25 November 2025, marks 25 years of EU-AU partnership, focusing on strengthening cooperation in key areas, such as peace and security, economic integration, trade, multilateralism, green development, digitalisation, migration, mobility and human development;
A. whereas Africa and Europe are neighbouring continents whose futures are closely interlinked; whereas the EU should aim to be Africa’s leading partner in trade, investment, development aid, humanitarian assistance, peace and security, energy and digital transformation; whereas African countries together constitute the EU’s fourth-largest trading partner, while the EU is Africa’s largest export market;
B. whereas the Samoa Agreement between the EU and the OACPS provides a renewed overarching legal and political framework for cooperation between equal partners, on the basis of shared commitments and responsibilities; whereas its effective implementation requires transparency, inclusiveness and the genuine participation of parliaments, civil society and young people on both continents;
B. whereas Africa is an indispensable partner in addressing global challenges, including ensuring sustainable access to critical raw materials, advancing green and digital transitions, strengthening global food security, supporting a dynamic labour market, preventing conflict, addressing insecurities and building peace; whereas increasing EU-Africa cooperation can unlock shared opportunities for innovation, industrial development, job creation, human development, achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and long-term prosperity on both continents;
C. whereas the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 SDGs outlined therein remain the only universal, overarching and comprehensive framework for eradicating poverty, fighting inequality and climate change, and ensuring prosperity and peace for all; whereas the SDGs must continue to serve as the guiding compass for EU-Africa cooperation, ensuring policy coherence for sustainable development across trade, climate, finance, migration and peacebuilding; whereas the EU and Africa share responsibility for accelerating progress towards these goals through a partnership grounded in solidarity, mutual respect, accountability and tangible results;
C. whereas the Samoa Agreement provides a renewed and modernised foundation for relations between the EU and African, Caribbean and Pacific states, aiming to strengthen their capacity to address these global challenges together and to move decisively towards a partnership of equals grounded in mutual respect and shared interests;
D. whereas, according to the UN Development Programme’s Human Development Report 2023-24, 23 African countries remain in the low human development category, and inequality continues to be one of the main barriers to achieving the SDGs;
D. whereas Africa’s growing global engagement reflects its increasing political and economic influence; whereas this underlines the importance of a principled, transparent and mutually beneficial partnership that supports both African and European priorities and promotes long-term stability and prosperity;
E. whereas recent significant cuts to the budget of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and reductions in support by other major development and bilateral actors have jeopardised essential programmes in health, education, food security, governance and civil society support across Africa; whereas the funding cuts come at a time when African countries are facing multiple crises, including conflicts, debt distress and climate change shocks;
E. whereas peace, security and good governance are prerequisites for prosperity, yet several African regions particularly those in fragile settings, continue to face instability, terrorism, unconstitutional changes of government, and humanitarian crises which have only been exacerbated by cuts in development spending by some EU Member States and the United States;
F. whereas the financing gaps for sustainable development are large and growing larger still, reaching an estimated USD 4 trillion annually;
F. whereas China is seeking to expand support for its global initiatives, establish economic dependencies for political purposes, and broaden its influence on the continent, including in the media sphere, where it is acquiring local and regional media platforms to spread pro-Chinese and anti-Western propaganda;
G. whereas Africa’s ongoing sovereign debt crisis has intensified in the past decade and is likely to worsen in the coming years; whereas, in a climate of geopolitical turmoil and rising interest rates, Africa’s public debt ratio doubled between 2010 and 2022, rising from 32.7 % to 65 %;
G. whereas the EU remains the largest development and humanitarian aid donor in Africa; whereas unfortunately, the global humanitarian system is currently facing an unprecedented funding crisis, with only 43 % of the USD 50 billion UN humanitarian appeal met in 2024 and only 13 % of the 2025 appeal met up to July 2025; whereas the situation has been further exacerbated by the dismantling of several programmes of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and by reductions in foreign aid from other key donors, including certain EU Member States, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development projecting a 9 % to 17 % drop in official development assistance (ODA) in 2025, leading to more severe hunger and jeopardising critical humanitarian, health, gender equality and climate initiatives;
H. whereas the EU is the largest donor of humanitarian aid to Africa; whereas the global humanitarian system is facing an unprecedented funding crisis, with only 43 % of the UN’s USD 50 billion humanitarian aid appeal being fulfilled in 2024;
H. whereas Africa’s population exceeded 1.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, with the majority of people being under 30 years of age; whereas this demographic dynamism presents both opportunities and challenges, requiring massive investment in education, employment, healthcare and infrastructure;
I. whereas the proposed restructuring of EU external action funding under Global Europe, including the merging of previous geographic and thematic programmes, risks undermining the EU’s capacity to support Africa effectively by reducing the responsiveness and visibility of projects on the ground, and by potentially limiting the meaningful participation of local and regional actors in the design, implementation and oversight of initiatives;
I. whereas Africa possesses vast potential for renewable energy, innovation and sustainable development; whereas despite contributing minimally to global emissions, the continent is actively pursuing climate resilience and green growth, and joint EU-African Union (AU) leadership can accelerate a just, inclusive and sustainable transition;
J. whereas the AU’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want is Africa’s own long-term blueprint for inclusive growth, regional integration, gender equality and sustainable development;
J. whereas the African Continental Free Trade Area is a transformative project for Africa’s integration and economic sovereignty, yet Africa’s participation in global trade and investment remains limited;
K. whereas the AfCFTA is a transformative project for Africa’s integration and economic sovereignty, yet Africa’s development is marked by excessive dependency on the export of raw materials; whereas this dependency creates vulnerabilities to price volatility and hinders industrial development;
K. whereas migration and mobility between Africa and Europe are long-standing complex and dynamic realities that have fostered cultural, social and economic ties while also presenting challenges;
L. whereas the European Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament are key democratic institutions representing the voices of the peoples of Europe and Africa and play a vital role in ensuring transparency, accountability and public participation in the partnership;
L. whereas 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the formal Africa-EU Partnership, providing a historic opportunity to renew and elevate relations, putting the partners on an equal footing for the next generation;
M. whereas civil society organisations, trade unions, youth movements and local authorities are essential to promoting democratic dialogue, inclusion and social justice within EU-Africa cooperation;
N. whereas peace, security and good governance are prerequisites for prosperity, yet several African regions continue to face instability, terrorism, unconstitutional changes of government, and humanitarian crises;
O. whereas democracy, human rights and gender equality are core values of both the EU and the AU, and women and young people are key agents of change for Africa’s democratic and economic future;
P. whereas gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls are prerequisites for sustainable development, peace and prosperity; whereas women and girls continue to face structural discrimination, gender-based violence, and limited access to education, healthcare and decision-making;
Q. whereas Africa has the world’s fastest-growing population of young people, which both offers significant potential and poses growing challenges in terms of fostering economic development, combating poverty, reducing inequalities and providing quality education for all; whereas education and skills development are central to EU-Africa cooperation, and both the EU and the AU acknowledge the importance of investing in human capital, technical and vocational training, research, innovation, youth mobility, and stronger links between education systems and the labour market;
R. whereas remittances sent by members of the African diaspora are a vital source of income for households and national economies across the African continent;
S. whereas a balanced, humane and right-based approach to migration is crucial to achieving the SDGs;
T. whereas climate change and environmental degradation threaten lives and livelihoods across Africa, despite the continent’s minimal contribution to global emissions; whereas joint EU-AU leadership is essential to achieve a just and green transition;
New strategic partnership of equals
1. Reaffirms the EU’s strong commitment to a renewed and genuine partnership of equals with the AU and African states, grounded in shared values and common interests and solidarity in addressing global challenges, and based on effective cooperation that delivers benefits for people on both continents and reflects a joint commitment to democracy, human rights, social justice, peace and sustainable development;
1. Calls for a renewed and forward-looking Africa-EU partnership built on mutual respect, shared interests and the understanding that both continents need each other and are stronger together; notes that, in a time of shifting geopolitical dynamics, rising extremism and growing global insecurity, as well as cuts in development and humanitarian spending, closer cooperation between the EU and Africa is more essential than ever; underlines that genuine partnership and joint multilateral action are the most effective ways to promote peace, prosperity, sustainable trade and human development; stresses the importance of transparent, values-based engagement, in contrast with the influence of external powers, including China and Russia, whose opaque financial, security and disinformation activities risk undermining sovereignty, stability and democratic governance in Africa;
2. Reaffirms that the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs must serve as the common compass for the renewed EU-Africa partnership, which should align all political, financial and investment frameworks, including NDICI – Global Europe and the Global Gateway strategy, with the SDGs, the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, ensuring social, environmental and economic impact across both continents;
2. Calls for the EU to step up its strategic communication and visibility across Africa, clearly demonstrating the tangible benefits of the EU’s partnership model, which is grounded in mutual respect, transparency and sustainability; stresses that the EU must ‘show its flag’ more effectively through coherent diplomacy, visible investment and closer coordination between the Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS), Parliament and the Member States, to project a united European voice;
3. Calls for the establishment of a genuine new strategic partnership of equals between the EU and the AU, building on the Joint Vision for 2030 adopted at the sixth EU-AU Summit in Brussels and guided by shared priorities with regard to prosperity, peace and governance, human development and environmental stewardship; stresses that this partnership must convert common aspirations into measurable commitments, including through transparent and participatory mechanisms involving parliaments and civil society on both continents;
3. Calls on the 22 EU Member States and the 66 African partners who have not yet ratified the Samoa Agreement to do so without delay, to move it from provisional application to full entry into force;
4. Highlights that the EU is Africa’s largest trading and investment partner and stresses the need to rebalance trade relations in favour of value addition and diversification, notably regarding critical raw materials; supports the full implementation of the AfCFTA as a driver of continental integration and acknowledges the need to address, in this respect, concerns that economic partnership agreements risk fragmenting African regional integration and hindering intra-African trade;
4. Urges the Commission to conduct thorough impact assessments and stakeholder consultations, including with African counterparts directly affected by EU legislation, and to base its proposals on the full evidence available;
5. Calls on the Commission to ensure, in the design and implementation of the Global Europe instrument under the multiannual financial framework for 2028-2034, that programmes dedicated to strengthening democracy, the rule of law, human rights and the work of civil society organisations in Africa remain clearly ringfenced, adequately funded and fully protected from being merged or diluted so as to safeguard their visibility, effectiveness and direct impact on local governance and societal resilience;
6. Recalls that all forms of development cooperation should be grounded in the aid effectiveness principles established at the Busan High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in 2011; stresses, in this regard, that the implementation of the Samoa Agreement and the Global Gateway must align with the AU’s Agenda 2063 and uphold the principles of equality, mutual accountability and African ownership across all strands of cooperation;
7. Urges the Commission, the European External Action Service and the Member States to ensure that projects implemented under the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package are co-designed with African stakeholders, aligned with national and regional priorities and implemented transparently; insists that the Global Gateway should always adhere to fundamental EU values, including respect for human rights, good governance, democracy, transparency and environmental sustainability;
8. Believes that the cornerstone of the Global Gateway’s success is its engagement with the genuine needs of partner countries; stresses the importance of aligning Global Gateway priorities with priorities for local development, and of combining policy dialogue, investment, development cooperation and diplomatic engagement to maximise strategic coherence and long-term impact; recalls, equally, that investments under the Global Gateway must go hand in hand with accountability, transparency and parliamentary oversight; stresses that improving the visibility of EU-funded Global Gateway projects and communicating about them more effectively is essential for demonstrating the EU’s added value, ensuring accountability to citizens in Europe and partner countries, and highlighting the tangible benefits of the Africa-Europe partnership on the ground; underlines the crucial role of EU Delegations in this process and highlights the need to strengthen their capacities, rather than reducing them, in order to ensure the effective coordination and implementation of Global Gateway initiatives;
9. Insists that investments must comply with high social and environmental standards and contribute to local value chains; stresses, to this end, its strong support for the extension and systematic use of the EU inequality marker across all external action instruments and programmes, including those related to the EU-Africa partnership;
10. Underlines that official development assistance must remain focused on the reduction of poverty and inequalities; calls on the Member States to sustain and step up progress towards the long-standing UN target of allocating 0.7 % of gross national income to official development assistance and to increase the share directed to least developed countries, in line with EU and international commitments; urges the EU and its Member States to prioritise allocating grants and concessional financing on the basis of vulnerabilities, particularly in least developed countries and fragile or conflict-affected countries; encourages the exploration of innovative and legally sound financing tools, including the voluntary reallocation of International Monetary Fund Special Drawing Rights;
11. Expresses deep concern about the mounting debt burden facing many African countries; acknowledges that large-scale investment initiatives and loans provided under the Global Gateway risk aggravating debt distress; calls for the EU to support comprehensive debt restructuring and the reform of the global financial architecture to ensure fairer terms and transparency, building on the Sevilla Commitment that resulted from the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development of June 2025;
12. Recalls that the 2030 Agenda identifies the reduction of illicit financial flows as a priority area; calls for the EU and its African partners to step up their cooperation to combat tax avoidance and evasion, base erosion and illicit financial flows;
13. Notes the changing landscape of international development assistance, where evolving priorities among major global donor countries, including recent large-scale cuts in USAID programmes, have created significant financing gaps in essential services; calls on the Commission and the Member States to realign NDICI – Global Europe and Team Europe programming with the officially agreed objectives and minimum spending targets for sub-Saharan Africa and thematic programmes, and to use these instruments to swiftly bridge financing gaps where appropriate, prioritising health, education, food security and climate adaptation in the most vulnerable African countries;
Peace, security and good governance
14. Reiterates that peace and prosperity are inseparable; expresses its deep concern about the persistence of violent conflict, terrorism, extremism and unconstitutional changes of government in several African regions; calls for greater support for African-led peace and security architectures, conflict prevention, mediation and post-conflict reconstruction; stresses that security cooperation must comply fully with international law and prioritise civilian protection and governance reform;
5. Expresses deep concern at the spread of conflicts, jihadist terrorism, military coups and state collapses, democratic backsliding and violent extremism in several parts of Africa and calls for a comprehensive approach combining defence, peacebuilding, security measures, deradicalisation and socio-economic development;
15. Supports African-led peace operations and mediation efforts under the African Peace and Security Architecture;
6. Expresses profound concern at the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation across the Sahel, in particular in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, where large areas remain under the control of armed groups, and civilians face widespread displacement and food insecurity; stresses that the crisis is spilling over into West Africa’s coastal democracies and generating dangerous power vacuums following the withdrawal of international missions; condemns Russia’s destabilising strategy in the region, including the transformation of the Wagner Group into Africa Corps, disinformation operations and predatory practices in relation to resources, and notes that reliance on such support by military juntas has failed to stabilise the situation and has enabled terrorist groups to regain ground; regrets that the EU Training Mission in Mali, the EU Military Partnership Mission in Niger and the EU Capacity Building Mission in Niger and other international deployments have not delivered lasting peace; calls for an evidence-based, in-depth assessment of mandates, roles and policies and for a profoundly revised, integrated EU common security and defence policy strategy for the Sahel that is coherent with development policy and informs the use of the European Peace Facility, prioritises humanitarian access and the protection of civilians, and conditions EU security assistance on full respect for international humanitarian and human rights law; supports the targeted prevention of spillover through the civilian-military EU Security and Defence Initiative in Support of West African Countries of the Gulf of Guinea to bolster the resilience of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo and Benin in their northern border areas; calls for coordinated, principled EU-AU action grounded in democracy, human rights and the rule of law, including measures to counter foreign information manipulation and interference, disrupt illicit resource and criminal economies that finance armed groups, and invest in governance, service delivery and local economic opportunities to address structural drivers of instability;
16. Insists that good governance, transparency and accountability are the backbone of sustainable development; encourages support for civil service reform, anti-corruption mechanisms, free and independent media, and strong civil society participation; calls for enhanced cooperation on electoral observation and democracy-building, in partnership with the AU and regional organisations;
7. Expresses deep concern at the continuing violence, political instability and humanitarian crises in several parts of Africa; recalls in particular the devastating conflict in Sudan, where fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has resulted in mass civilian casualties, displacement and widespread human rights violations; strongly condemns all atrocities, including the deliberate targeting of civilians and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, and calls for full accountability and unhindered humanitarian access; welcomes regional and UN-led diplomatic efforts and calls for the EU to intensify coordination with the AU and neighbouring states to support ceasefire negotiations and inclusive peacebuilding; notes with concern the persistent fragility and lack of national reconciliation in Libya, whose instability continues to affect both African and European security; calls for renewed EU engagement, in close cooperation with the UN, to promote a unified political process, transparent elections and the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries; welcomes the contribution of the EU Military Assistance Mission Mozambique to restoring security in Cabo Delgado while stressing the need to embed human rights, community resilience and principles of good governance to ensure lasting stability and local trust; underlines the role of the EU Capacity Building Mission in Somalia in reinforcing the capacities of the Somali police maritime security and the rule of law; calls for closer coordination with international partners and for the integration of the mission’s work within broader EU efforts to strengthen governance, justice and counterterrorism resilience in the Horn of Africa; remains alarmed by the situation in Ethiopia, including in the Tigray region, where serious human rights abuses have been reported; calls on the Ethiopian authorities to guarantee unrestricted humanitarian access, pursue genuine national dialogue and uphold the rule of law and fundamental freedoms; underlines that all EU engagement in conflict-affected and transitional contexts must promote democracy, accountability and African ownership, ensuring coordination with the AU and regional initiatives to foster reconciliation, stability and sustainable development across the continent;
17. Reaffirms the essential role of women and young people in peacebuilding and governance; urges both the EU and the AU to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda and the Youth, Peace and Security agenda, ensuring equal participation in decision-making;
8. Calls for the EU to step up its efforts to promote peace, security and stability across the African continent; calls for predictable, long-term financing of AU-mandated peace operations, including through UN-assessed contributions in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2719 (2023); stresses the need for permanent African representation in the UN Security Council; supports African-led peace operations and mediation efforts under the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA);
Investing in human development, young people and mobility
9. Calls on the Council and the Commission to strengthen EU-Africa security and defence cooperation, including by establishing a rapid EU response capacity to counter terrorism, violent extremism and external interference, particularly in fragile states; underlines that such cooperation must complement and reinforce African-led efforts under the APSA and must fully respect international law, democratic oversight and the principles of a partnership of equals; emphasises that counterterrorism operations must fully respect international humanitarian and human rights law; supports EU programmes for community resilience, women and youth engagement and post-conflict reconstruction;
18. Affirms that people-centred cooperation is the core of the EU-Africa partnership; welcomes the Youth Action Plan for 2022-2027 and the Youth Mobility for Africa initiative; calls for the Erasmus+, Horizon Europe and Intra-Africa Academic Mobility schemes to be scaled up to reach far more students and researchers, and for increased support to be provided to African universities and vocational institutes;
10. Welcomes the recent peace agreement reached between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), but remains deeply concerned by the continuing violence and insecurity in eastern DRC, particularly in North Kivu and Ituri, which have caused immense human suffering and displacement; calls for the EU, in this context, to play an active and coordinated role in supporting implementation of the peace process, focusing on enhancing inclusivity and women’s participation, humanitarian access and the protection of civilians; stresses that, for lasting stability, the economic dimensions of the conflict need to be addressed, including the illegal exploitation of natural resources and raw materials, and justice needs to be ensured for victims of war crimes, including conflict-related sexual violence; calls for the EU to promote responsible sourcing, transparency in supply chains, and investment in value added in the DRC and the Great Lakes region;
19. Emphasises that health security is a shared global public good; welcomes EU support for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, for vaccine manufacturing hubs in Africa and for the African Medicines Agency; calls for continued cooperation on pandemic preparedness, local pharmaceutical production and universal health coverage;
11. Calls for enhanced cooperation on electoral observation and democracy building, in partnership with the AU and regional organisations;
20. Calls for a rights-based approach to migration and mobility, ensuring safe and regular pathways, the protection of refugees and displaced persons and the fair treatment of migrants; urges the EU and the AU to address the root causes of irregular migration through job creation, governance and climate resilience; supports the expansion of legal and circular migration pathways; stresses that all migration cooperation must respect international law and human rights;
12. Calls for dedicated funding for local women mediators and peacebuilders, young peacebuilders, community leaders, civil society organisations and women’s organisations; reaffirms the essential role of women and young people in peacebuilding and governance; calls for both unions to implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda and the Youth, Peace and Security agenda, ensuring full, equal and meaningful participation of women and young people in all stages of a peace process and in decision-making;
21. Acknowledges the vital role of diaspora communities in deepening ties between Africa and Europe; encourages structured dialogue with diaspora networks and support for initiatives linking remittances and entrepreneurship to sustainable development in countries of origin;
13. Underlines the importance of institutionalising the parliamentary dimension of future EU-AU summits as an integral component of their framework, to ensure citizen representation, public oversight and a democratic contribution to the deliberations and outcomes of the partnership;
22. Reiterates that gender equality and women’s empowerment are prerequisites for inclusive growth; urges both continents to uphold women’s rights, ensure access to education and sexual and reproductive health services, and combat gender-based violence and harmful practices;
14. Supports efforts to revitalise the Joint Parliamentary Assembly between the European Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament as a forum for democratic dialogue and oversight; encourages regular thematic meetings between parliamentary committees from both continents to ensure the partnership’s accountability;
15. Is concerned about China’s growing political influence in Africa and the expansion of its global initiatives, including the Belt and Road Initiative; notes that, while these projects have mobilised significant investment, they often lack transparency and can create economic dependencies; underlines that the EU offers a sustainable, values-based and transparent alternative, grounded in local ownership, fair competition and mutual benefit; calls for the EU to enhance its strategic communication and visibility, promote joint AU-EU projects in infrastructure, digitalisation and innovation, and support independent media and education initiatives to demonstrate the long-term advantages of the European model of partnership; recognises the strategic importance of critical raw materials for both Africa and Europe and stresses that cooperation in this field must be founded on mutual benefit, transparency and sustainability; calls for Europe’s resilience to be strengthened by moving away from excessive dependencies, particularly on China, through diversification into partnerships that promote responsible mining, local value added, and skills development; underlines that initiatives under the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package should foster resilient, fair and environmentally responsible supply chains, ensuring that resource cooperation contributes to sustainable growth and economic diversification in African countries;
Sustainable growth, trade and infrastructure
16. Supports the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area as a driver of continental integration and calls for the EU to provide technical and financial assistance for its institutions, customs harmonisation and private sector readiness;
17. Underlines the central role of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe as the EU’s main external financing framework supporting cooperation with Africa; stresses that the effective use of the NDICI and its successor instrument is essential to ensure coherence between policy priorities, Global Gateway investments and Team Europe initiatives, as well as to guarantee transparency, accountability and measurable results in EU development action, and to fulfil our EU Treaty obligations, including promoting poverty eradication, sustainable development, human rights and international cooperation;
18. Calls on the Member States, in this regard, to undertake a thorough assessment of shortcomings in their previous approaches to development cooperation with and external assistance for Africa, and to revise and readjust their Africa strategies with a view to fostering sustainable prosperity on the continent and achieving genuinely mutually beneficial partnerships;
19. Stresses the importance of ensuring policy coherence for development (PCD) across all EU external policies, taking into account trade, migration, climate and security concerns; highlights, in this regard, the importance of Parliament’s PCD Network in achieving better alignment of the EU’s external policies;
20. Underlines that ODA remains indispensable in fragile contexts and in least-developed countries; calls on the Member States to sustain and step up progress towards the long-standing UN target of allocating 0.7 % of gross national income (GNI) to ODA and to increase the share directed to least developed countries, in line with EU and international commitments; encourages the exploration of innovative and legally sound financing tools, including voluntary reallocation of the International Monetary Fund’s Special Drawing Rights where feasible, and the use of structured and transparent debt-for-climate or debt-for-development swaps to strengthen funding for climate adaptation and resilience;
21. Welcomes efforts to make EU external action more coherent through the Global Europe instrument and the Global Gateway strategy, while stressing that flexibility must be matched by predictability, accountability, transparency and parliamentary oversight; expresses concern that ODA may be used for the purpose of private sector investment under the Global Gateway; calls on the Commission, the EEAS, the Council and the Member States to ensure that the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package delivers tangible results, through its 360-degree approach, by aligning projects with African priorities and human development indicators, preventing unsustainable debt, supporting poverty eradication and promoting human development in line with the SDGs and Treaty obligations; recognises that large-scale investment initiatives alone cannot address the complex realities of fragile and conflict-affected settings, nor the vulnerabilities of least-developed and heavily indebted countries; calls therefore for a dedicated EU strategy for engagement in fragile contexts under the future Global Europe instrument, integrating political dialogue, peacebuilding, humanitarian aid and development action, while stressing the need for ring-fenced humanitarian aid in the next multiannual financial framework; underlines the need to improve the visibility and coordination of EU-funded projects through stronger EU delegations and genuine partnerships with African stakeholders;
22. Calls for the creation of a dedicated EU-Africa industrialisation pact under the joint auspices of the AU, the EU and regional development banks, to mobilise public and private capital, which would ensure that Africa is not just a source of raw materials but a hub for processing, manufacturing and innovation, which will create jobs, build local industries and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and generate wealth locally while attracting European businesses, particularly SMEs; asks that, as part of this pact, an EU-Africa infrastructure fund is launched focusing on modern infrastructure, irrigation systems and renewable energy that can transform livelihoods and increase food, water and energy security, with the aim of promoting long-term investment in transport, energy, water and digital networks without trapping African nations in unsustainable debt; stresses that the fund must be Africa-led, transparent and free of political strings while supporting the strengthening of the rule of law; underlines that this initiative would be a tangible expression of a partnership of equals, fostering long-term growth and sustainable value chains on both continents;
23. Voices its concerns about the withdrawal of the USAID and the scaling down of its programmes, which has created significant financing gaps in essential services; calls on the Commission and the Member States to realign NDICI – Global Europe and Team Europe programming, as well as the future Global Europe initiative, with the instruments’ officially agreed objectives and minimum spending targets for Sub-Saharan Africa and thematic programmes, and to use these instruments to bridge such gaps swiftly where appropriate, prioritising health, gender equality, education, food security and climate adaptation in the most vulnerable African countries; emphasises that the needs-based nature of humanitarian aid requires ring-fenced funding, distinct from other external action financing; calls on the Commission to balance the instruments’ new economic diplomacy focus with the EU’s long-standing treaty-based development and humanitarian objectives;
Investing in women, young people, human development and mobility
24. Stresses that African young people must be at the heart of a renewed EU-Africa partnership; underlines that bringing young people from both continents closer together, through greater mutual understanding and stronger bonds, is essential for a lasting and equal partnership; calls for the significant expansion of programmes such as Erasmus+, through the creation of a political EU-Africa youth exchange programme, Horizon Europe and the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme to reach many more EU and African students and researchers; calls, moreover, for increased support for African universities, vocational institutes and youth-led initiatives to strengthen skills, innovation and exchange;
25. Calls for a dedicated Africa-EU youth innovation fund to finance start-ups and community projects led by young entrepreneurs;
26. Calls for a positive, lucid, realistic and forward-looking approach to migration and mobility; calls therefore on the Commission to launch a safe mobility initiative, setting up one-stop shops in partner countries to streamline access to legal migration pathways, including resettlement, family reunification and labour migration, which includes but should not be limited to talent partnerships and labour mobility schemes, such as the EU Talent Pool initiative, that match skills to labour market needs in both continents; calls for sustainable voluntary return with possible reintegration programmes, effective cooperation on return and readmission, biometric travel document issuance, and border management support; urges the EU and the AU to step up the fight against irregular migration and to better address the root causes of irregular migration by creating jobs, fighting corruption, promoting good governance, the rule of law and education, and supporting climate resilience; recognises the significant burden that the increase in irregular migration, including from Africa, places on Europe; stresses that cooperation on migration must strike a balance between responsibility and solidarity, combining the fight against smuggling and trafficking with the creation of safe and legal mobility channels and full respect for international law and human rights; emphasises that the new Pact on Migration and Asylum, as a structural solution, should be fully implemented and evaluated before transitioning to a new strategy;
27. Calls for the EU and the AU to uphold and promote women’s rights and gender equality, ensure access to education and the fulfilment of sexual and reproductive health and rights, promote women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in decision-making and on the labour market and combat gender-based violence and harmful practices; reiterates that gender equality and women’s empowerment are prerequisites for inclusive growth and sustainable development; calls for the EU to ensure dedicated funding for gender equality programmes in line with its Gender Action Plan III;
28. Emphasises that health security is a shared global challenge and expresses concern that significant budget cuts in the sector threaten to undo decades of progress in global health, putting millions of lives at risk; welcomes EU support for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), vaccine manufacturing hubs in Africa and the African Medicines Agency, and stresses the EU’s vital role in funding lifesaving health programmes, including HIV and AIDs prevention and treatment programmes and sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes; calls for continued cooperation on pandemic preparedness, local pharmaceutical production and universal health coverage;
Climate, the environment and multilateral cooperation
23. Emphasises the urgent need for climate justice and a just green transition; stresses that this can only be achieved by setting ambitious goals for environmental, social and public governance (ESG+); recognises climate change as a defining common challenge and an opportunity for EU-Africa collaboration;
29. Calls for joint progress on the African single electricity market, cross-border interconnections and sustainable urbanisation; calls for the EU to provide its fair share of climate finance for African climate adaptation and mitigation, supporting initiatives such as the Great Green Wall and NaturAfrica that combine environmental protection with jobs and rural development; recognises climate change as a shared challenge and an opportunity for Africa-EU cooperation; welcomes the Africa-Europe Green Energy Initiative to deliver 50 GW of renewable capacity and electricity access for 100 million people by 2030;
24. Recalls that projects financed under the Global Gateway should be climate-neutral and should speed up sustainable development and the transition to a cleaner and more circular economy;
30. Calls for stronger AU-EU action and joint advocacy at Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings to secure fair climate finance, technology transfer and funding for the Loss and Damage Fund; stresses that all major emitters, including G20 members, must lead on implementing the Paris Agreement; welcomes Africa’s permanent G20 membership and supports greater African representation in global governance; proposes an annual AU-EU dialogue on climate and sustainability to coordinate policies and track progress;
25. Notes that the mining sector is among the sectors with the worst records of human rights violations, environmental degradation, the grabbing of indigenous peoples’ land, and conflicts; emphasises that EU-Africa strategic corridors for mineral resources must meet the highest sustainability and due diligence standards, while helping African countries to move up the value chain;
26. Calls for the EU to deliver its fair share of climate finance for African adaptation and mitigation efforts, prioritising early-warning systems, agroecology and the protection of biodiversity, and to take concrete action, including at COP conferences, to step up technology transfer; calls for sufficient funding for the global Loss and Damage Fund so that it can assist climate-vulnerable countries;
27. Underlines the particular responsibility of all major emitters, including emerging economies and G20 countries, to take the lead and show leadership in global climate action in order to meet the targets set in the Paris Agreement; calls for the EU and like-minded partners to spearhead a coalition of high ambition and work collaboratively with all parties to secure a successful outcome at COP30; urges the EU and its Member States to work towards providing an additional USD 1.3 trillion per year for climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as loss and damage, through public concessional and non-debt creating instruments, in line with the Baku to Belém Roadmap agreed at COP 29;
28. Proposes that the AU and the EU establish an annual high-level dialogue on climate and sustainability in order to monitor progress and align policies on energy, biodiversity and environmental protection;
29. Reaffirms that human rights, democracy and the rule of law are core pillars of the EU-Africa partnership; calls for enhanced support to civil society, human rights defenders, independent media and youth movements; warns about the shrinking civic space;
30. Emphasises the central role of education in unlocking Africa’s demographic potential, and stresses that education must be a central priority of development cooperation and a key pillar of the EU-Africa partnership;
31. Stresses the central role of gender equality and women’s empowerment in all dimensions of the partnership; urges action to remove barriers preventing girls from accessing inclusive and safe education; urges the EU and the AU to strengthen joint measures to eliminate gender-based violence and discrimination;
Way forward
32.31. Welcomes the seventh EU-AU Summit in Luanda as a significant opportunity for African and European leaders to reaffirm their commitment to the EU-AU partnership and build on the progress made under the Joint Vision for 2030, adopted in Brussels in 2022;partnership; calls on the participants to seize this opportunityoccasion to announce measurable commitments for the next five years, notably through the adoption of a Joint Actionjoint Planaction forplan 2025-2030, implementinga theroadmap Jointto Visiondouble Africa-EU trade and investment by 2030, an agreement on mutual mobility and visa facilitation for 2030;students and researchers, and a renewed joint framework on digital transformation and green energy partnerships;
33. Welcomes the AU’s admission as a permanent member of the G20 and supports greater African representation in global governance, including a permanent seat for the AU on the UN Security Council; urges the AU and the EU to coordinate closely in multilateral forums to defend democracy and the rule of law;
32. Stresses the importance of strengthening the parliamentary dimension of the Africa-Europe partnership; calls for the organisation of a pre-summit meeting between Members of the European Parliament and members of the Pan-African Parliament to ensure that the voices of elected representatives from both continents help shape the agenda, priorities and outcomes of the upcoming EU-AU summit; underlines that such dialogue would enhance democratic legitimacy, foster mutual understanding and ensure that the summit’s conclusions reflect the concerns and aspirations of citizens across Africa and Europe; stresses also the importance of the meaningful engagement of civil society in the partnership and at summits;
34. Underlines the importance of institutionalising the parliamentary dimension of future EU-AU summits as an integral component of their framework in order to ensure citizen representation, public oversight and a democratic contribution to the deliberations and outcomes of the EU-AU partnership;
33. Calls on its President to invite African heads of state to address Parliament on a more regular basis, ensuring balanced geographical representation and fostering deeper political dialogue between the two continents;
35. Supports the revival of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly between the European Parliament and the Pan-African Parliament as a forum for democratic dialogue and oversight; encourages regular thematic meetings between parliamentary committees from both continents to ensure accountability within the partnership;
34. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of the European Council, the President of the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the African Union Commission, the Pan-African Parliament, the governments and parliaments of the EU Member States and of the African Union member states, and to the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.
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36. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of the European Council, the President of the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the African Union Commission, the Pan-African Parliament, the governments and parliaments of the EU Member States and the African Union Member States, and the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.