Challenges of Europe-Africa Relations in 2009: Independent Perspectives from Europe and Africa

The report details a seminar co-hosted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) on March 3, 2009. Presenters identified institutional, perceptual, and operational hurdles to the Joint Africa-EU Strategic Strategy (JAES), including a lack of African ownership, paternalistic EU attitudes, and the impact of the global financial crisis. Recommendations focus on restoring trust, balancing asymmetric competencies between the EU and AU, and involving civil society and regional economic communities to move beyond a 'Brussels – Addis Ababa axis'.

• European perspectives on Africa-EU relations highlighted several internal and external pressures, including the impact of the financial crisis on the JAES, EU institutional renewal via the Lisbon treaty, and the need to make Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) more mutually beneficial.
• African perspectives on the JAES revealed a perceived lack of African ownership, particularly regarding the 2005 EU Strategy, and a belief that European strategy was driven by fear of the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) entering traditional European territories in Africa.
• The relationship is hindered by 'broken trust' and negative mindsets, specifically paternalistic attitudes from the EU and reactive donor-recipient tendencies from African regimes.
• Operational challenges within the African Union Commission (AUC) include poor involvement of the Pan-African Parliament, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), as well as a general lack of public awareness of the JAES in Africa.
• To improve the partnership, the report recommends addressing asymmetric competencies in resources and institutions, ensuring the partnership extends beyond the 'Brussels – Addis Ababa axis', and exploring Africa-EU-China triangular relationships.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2009). Challenges of Europe-Africa Relations in 2009: Independent Perspectives from Europe and Africa. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ECDPMSEMREP.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Challenges of Europe-Africa Relations in 2009: Independent Perspectives from Europe and Africa. 2009. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ECDPMSEMREP.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Challenges of Europe-Africa Relations in 2009: Independent Perspectives from Europe and Africa |date=3 March 2009 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ECDPMSEMREP.PDF |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2009challenges, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Challenges of Europe-Africa Relations in 2009: Independent Perspectives from Europe and Africa}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/ECDPMSEMREP.PDF}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }