Africa-Europe relations
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On 17 and 18 February 2022, the sixth EU-AU Summit took place in Brussels. Changing global dynamics and common challenges – from the climate crisis to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic – make the partnership between Europe and Africa more important than ever.
We have been looking at this relationship for more than 30 years from a variety of different and equally relevant perspectives – be it trade, finance, migration or peace and security. We will continue to cover Africa-Europe relations and share insights and analyses before, during and after the summit.
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Get in touch
If you would like to know about our work on Africa-Europe relations, give us feedback or share your thoughts on specific issues, you can get in touch with our experts via our people page. For enquiries related to outreach and media, please contact Virginia Mucchi or Isabell Wutz.
Analysis and opinion
What the EU’s asylum response to the war in Ukraine means for Africa-Europe relations
Anna Knoll, ECDPM commentary, 28 March 2022
The health sector – a promising avenue for a strengthened AU-EU partnership
Karim Karaki, Pamella Ahairwe and Philomena Apiko, ECDPM commentary, 22 March 2022
The European Peace Facility and Ukraine: Implications for Africa-Europe relations
Volker Hauck, ECDPM commentary, 14 March 2022
Breaking down the EU-AU Summit
Philomena Apiko, Weekly Compass editorial, 22 February 2022
After the EU-AU Summit: Inching towards just transition in Africa
Alfonso Medinilla and Hanne Knaepen, ECDPM commentary, 21 February 2022
The EU-AU Summit: From diplomatic success to a more balanced investment partnership
San Bilal, ECDPM commentary, 21 February
What can we expect from the EU-AU Summit?
Virginia Mucchi with Philomena Apiko, ECDPM podcast, 14 February 2022
Beyond Brussels and Addis Ababa: How to make the AU-EU partnership work
ACET, ECDPM, ISS and Policy Center for the New South, commentary, 14 February 2022
Bringing African digital interests into the spotlight
Ennatu Domingo, ECDPM commentary, 14 February 2022
African regional hubs to manufacture health products: Towards comprehensive joint AU-EU actions
San Bilal, Karim Karaki, Pamella Eunice Ahairwe and Philomena Apiko, ECDPM brief, 14 February 2022
The sixth AU-EU summit: Partners in therapy?
Geert Laporte for EUobserver, 8 February 2022
The EU-AU Summit: Geopolitics, a pandemic and a partnership that struggles to thrive
Lidet Tadesse, ECDPM commentary, 7 February 2022
Why migration and mobility should – but probably won’t – be at the heart of the EU-AU Summit
Amanda Bisong and Anna Knoll, ECDPM commentary, 7 February 2022
Strengthening the AU-EU partnership on the economic development and trade agenda
Poorva Karkare, European Think Tanks Group – Institute for Security Studies report, 4 February 2022
The geopolitics of African renewable energy: European and Chinese investments in a global green transition
Alfonso Medinilla, Katja Sergejeff and Ennatu Domingo, ECDPM paper, 31 January 2022
EU countries should reallocate a share of their special drawing rights as a strong commitment at the EU-AU Summit
San Bilal, ECDPM commentary, 17 January 2022
COP26 through an Africa-Europe lens
ECDPM commentary, Hanne Knaepen, 22 November 2021
Towards a renewed Africa-Europe partnership for investment
San Bilal, Niels Keijzer and Pamella Eunice Ahairwe, European Think Tanks Group paper, October 2021
What does the AfCFTA mean for an EU-Africa trade agreement?
Sean Woolfrey, ECDPM brief, October 2021
Africa-EU relations: Strengthening the continent-to-continent dialogue on sustainable development
Niels Keijzer, Kathleen van Hove and Freda Yawson, European Think Tanks Group synthesis note, October 2021
The future for Africa’s trade with Europe: Factors affecting the long-term relevance of the European market for African exports
Sean Woolfrey and Poorva Karkare, ECDPM paper, October 2021
EU-Africa trade relations and the EPA process: Ratification and sustainable development perspectives for Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana
San Bilal, ECDPM paper, September 2021
Building strategic European digital cooperation with Africa
Chloe Teevan, ECDPM brief, September 2021
AU-EU cooperation on climate and energy: In search of a common narrative
Alfonso Medinilla, ECDPM brief, May 2021
Green transitions in Africa-Europe relations: What role for the European Green Deal?
Christine Hackenesch, Maximilian Högl, Gabriela Iacobuta, John Asafu-Adjaye and Hanne Knaepen, European Think Tanks Group paper, April 2021
A new multilateralism for the post-COVID world: What role for the EU-Africa partnership?
Chloe Teevan with Luca Barana, Daniele Fattibene, Gabriela Iacobuta, Silke Weinlich and Steffen Bauer, European Think Tanks Group paper, April 2021
New beginnings or a last hurrah? The OACPS-EU partnership in 2021-2041
Alfonso Medinilla, ECDPM brief, April 2021
Continuity and Change in European Union-Africa Relations on Peace and Security.
Volker Hauck and Lidet Tadesse Shiferaw, Accord Covid-19 Conflict & Resilience Monitor, 24 March 2021
A call for change from young people in Africa and Europe
ECDPM Great Insights, volume 10, issue 1, 2021
A trip through 2020: How Africa-Europe relations played out
Nina Thijssen and Virginia Mucchi, ECDPM commentary, 14 December 2020
Africa-Europe relations beyond 2020: Looking through a gender lens
Anna Knoll and Virginia Mucchi, ECDPM paper, November 2020
Strengthening the digital partnership between Africa and Europe
Chux Daniels, Benedikt Erforth, Rob Floyd and Chloe Teevan, European Think Tanks Group paper, October 2020
Charles Michel responds to Carl Michiels’ memo on EU-Africa relations
ECDPM news, 27 October 2020
Navigating the new normal: EU-AU partnerships in the post-COVID era
ECDPM Great Insights magazine, volume 9, issue 3, 2020
The AU-EU Summit didn’t prove immune to COVID-19 – but that may be a blessing in disguise
Geert Laporte, ECDPM commentary, 14 September 2020
Advancing EU-Africa cooperation in light of the African Continental Free Trade Area
Axel Berger, Clara Brandi, Frederik Stender, Edward K Brown, Philomena Apiko and Sean Woolfrey, European Think Tanks Group paper, September 2020
Adaptation in the Africa-Europe context: A point of divergence?
Hanne Knaepen and Doug Parsons from Cimpatico Studios, video interview, 30 July 2020
European fear of ‘missing out’ and narratives on China in Africa
Poorva Karkare, Linda Calabrese, Sven Grimm and Alfonso Medinilla, European Think Tanks Group paper, July 2020
How to avoid the aid trap in the AU-EU strategic relationship
Fernando Jorge Cardoso, ECDPM guest blog, 15 June 2020
EU und Afrika: Corona macht den Weg noch steiniger
Deutsche Welle, 24 May 2020, ECDPM’s Geert Laporte is quoted
The article is also available in Portuguese
Was bedeuten die neuen EU-Visaregeln für Afrika?
Deutsche Welle, 22 May 2020, ECDPM’s Amanda Bisong is quoted
The article was also featured in the Indo New York, AllAfrica and in the Liberia Netherlands Business & Culture Council’s newsletter
Africa and Europe after COVID-19
Think Global Health, 13 May 2020, article by Geert Laporte, Sara Pantuliano and Vera Mazzara
Towards a new Africa-Europe partnership after the Corona crisis
Op-ed by the directors of the European Think Tanks Group institutes, EURACTIV, 30 April 2020
This article has also been published by EURACTIV.de, HuffingtonPost Italia and Rwanda Podium
Europe-Africa relations after Corona
Geert Laporte, European Think Tanks Group blog, 6 April 2020
There’s significant build-up towards more equal EU-Africa cooperation
African Newspage, 26 March 2020, interview with ECDPM’s Luckystar Miyandazi
Turning the tables: African and European narratives in the time of Corona
Lidet Tadesse Shiferaw and Virginia Mucchi, ECDPM blog, 23 March 2020
The EU and Africa: Should, would, could… but how?
Bruce Byiers, ECDPM blog, 16 March 2020
Afrikanska unionen vill inte att EU dikterar villkor för nytt avtal
OmVärlden, 9 March 2020, ECDPM’s Chloe Teevan was interviewed for this article
Beyond good intentions: The new EU-Africa partnership
Alfonso Medinilla and Chloe Teevan, ECDPM paper, March 2020
EU’s von der Leyen set to pay second Africa visit
Deutsche Welle, 27 February 2020, features interview with ECDPM’s Geert Laporte
Deutsche Welle News Africa
Deutsche Welle, 26 February 2020, the programme features ECDPM’s Luckystar Miyandazi
In search of allies, EU turns to Africa
POLITICO, 26 February 2020, ECDPM’s Chloe Teevan is quoted
New year, new aspirations for Europe-Africa relations?
Luckystar Miyandazi, ECDPM blog, 13 January 2020
Africa and EU-Africa partnership insights: Input for Estonia’s new Africa strategy
Nadia Ashraf and Jeske van Seters, ECDPM paper, January 2020
Von der Leyen in Addis Ababa: Seven ingredients for a successful first date
Op-ed by Amanda Bisong and Chloe Teevan for Euractiv, 6 December 2019
Mission possible? The Geopolitical Commission and the partnership with Africa
Chloe Teevan and Andrew Sherriff, ECDPM brief, October 2019
Governance in Africa-Europe relations: Modesty, realism and working politically
Geert Laporte, ECDPM brief, October 2019
Crafting the African response to European external migration policies
Amanda Bisong, ECDPM blog, 30 September 2019
Refresh and reload: EU and Africa working together on research and innovation
Mariella Di Ciommo and Sanne Thijssen, ECDPM paper, June 2019
An AU-EU alliance to defend multilateralism
James Mackie, ECDPM blog, 8 April 2019
Assertive, appreciative and aloof: South Africa, Cabo Verde and Ghana reflect on EU research and innovation collaboration
Mariella Di Ciommo, Emmanuel De Groof and Sanne Thijssen, ECDPM paper, March 2019
Africa-EU relations and post-Cotonou: African collective action or further fragmentation of partnerships?
Alfonso Medinilla and Jean Bossuyt, ECDPM brief, March 2019
A crucial week for Africa and Europe beyond 2040
Emmanuel De Groof, Dalil Djinnit and Alfonso Medinilla, ECDPM brief, September 2018
Breaking the silence on North Africa: A new EU-Africa partnership after 2020
Alfonso Medinilla, ECDPM op-ed for EURACTIV, 30 March 2018
Our work on Africa-Europe relations around past EU-AU summits
2017 summit
The AU-EU Abidjan Summit: Is there life beyond migration?
Geert Laporte, ECDPM, 4 December 2017
Can Africa and Europe jointly walk the talk on investment mobilisation?
San Bilal, ECDPM, 27 November 2017 (Voilà la version française)
How North Africa’s look towards the south can shake up AU-EU relations
Faten Aggad and Tasnim Abderrahim, ECDPM, 20 November 2017
Can EU-Africa relations be deepened? A political economy perspective on power relations, interests and incentives
Jean Bossuyt, ECDPM, 20 November 2017
Africa-Europe relations: Time to reboot
ECDPM Great Insights magazine, ECDPM, November/December 2017
Can the EU prioritise both the African Union and the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific group?
Alfonso Medinilla and Niels Keijzer, European Think Tanks Group, 20 November 2017
Time to strengthen strategic partnerships for peace and security in Africa
Volker Hauck, ECDPM blog, 13 November 2017
A message to African and European leaders: ‘More of the same is not good enough’
Geert Laporte, ECDPM blog, 23 October 2017
Time to move to an interest-driven Africa-EU political partnership (part two)
Geert Laporte, ECDPM blog, 26 June 2017
Time to move to an interest-driven Africa-EU political partnership (part one)
Geert Laporte, ECDPM blog, 19 June 2017
Do values still matter in the Europe-Africa partnership?
Geert Laporte, ECDPM blog, 24 February 2017
Matching means to priorities: Challenges for EU-Africa relations in 2017
James Mackie, Matthias Deneckere and Greta Galeazzi, ECDPM challenges paper, 8 January 2017
Youth: a shared priority for Europe and Africa
Greta Galeazzi, ECDPM blog, 23 February 2017
2014 summit
The Bulletin of Fridays of the Commission – Making EU-Africa relations future-proof
ECDPM and the African Union Commission, 20 June 2014
Beyond the 2014 Summit: Which way forward for EU-Africa relations? Report of the informal high-level seminar hosted by ECDPM
ECDPM, 6 June 2014
The global game has changed: What role for Europe-Africa relations?
Europe-Africa Policy Research Network, April 2014
Are Africa and Europe turning a new page in their relationship?
James Mackie and Faten Aggad-Clerx, 11 April 2014
Don’t ignore the elephants in the room – Will the Africa-EU Summit revitalise the partnership?
Geert Laporte, 28 March 2014
The implementation of the Joint Africa Europe Strategy: Rebuilding confidence and commitments
Damien Helly, Essete Abebe Bekele, Sahra El Fassi and Greta Galeazzi, March 2014
A question of leadership? Challenges for Africa-EU relations in 2014
James Mackie, Sahra El Fassi, Camilla Rocca and Sebastian Grosse-Puppendahl, December 2013
Challenges for Africa-EU relations (video playlist)
ECDPM, March 2014
Five challenges in Africa-EU relations (infographic)
ECDPM, March 2014
Africa-Europe relations #post2015 (blog series)
ECDPM, May 2013 to November 2015
Our work on the ACP-EU partnership
If you liked this dossier, you might also be interested in our dossier on the future of ACP-EU relations.
