The future of EU support to peace and security in Africa: What implications for the African Peace Facility beyond 2020?

On 24 June 2016, a policy seminar was held in Brussels on the future of EU support to peace and security in Africa – What implications for the African Peace Facility beyond 2020?  The seminar was co-organised by ECDPM’s Conflict, Security and Resilience Programme and the  Netherlands Presidency of the Council of the EU. The policy seminar brought together some 40 experts and stakeholders from Europe and Africa. Two panel discussions were held during the seminar, with experts’ inputs, followed by Q&A sessions, moderated by ECDPM’s Volker Hauck. In line with the aims of the seminar, inquiries looked back at the past achievements of and lessons learned from the African Peace Facility (APF)since 2004. It also offered a forward look to the longer-term strategic aspects and priorities for future EU support to peace and security in Africa, in a context characterised by a growing interdependence between Europe and Africa concerning peace and security. The following report summarises the outcomes of the discussions that took place during the seminar. it also incorporates information from background interviews conducted with representatives of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the European Commission and EU member states.