The EU announces EUR 117 million in humanitarian aid for Chad and Sudan in 2024
The European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, is currently visiting Chad to ascertain the humanitarian situation in the country and meet with the authorities. During this visit, the Commissioner will announce new funding of EUR 45 million in EU humanitarian aid for Chad.
Global Gateway: European Commission and African Development Bank Group unlock new funding for African infrastructure projects
The European Commission (EC) and the African Development Bank Group have formalised a new Financial Framework Partnership Agreement to boost investments in infrastructure projects in Africa.The European Union's contribution to co-finance operations with the African Development Bank has significantly increased over the last two years, now amounting to €972 million in blending operations and guarantees. This figure will further increase after the signing of the new Financial Framework Partnership Agreement.
Global Gateway: EU and Horn of Africa countries sign Alliance to boost economic development and combat climate change
Today in Brussels, during the 19th Horn of Africa Initiative Ministerial, co-chaired by European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas and H.E. Ahmed Shide, Minister of Finance of Ethiopia, and representatives of the Horn of Africa Countries, the EU and Germany, both signed a new EU Alliance for the Horn of Africa Initiative. The initiative follows discussions at the last Ministerial in Addis Ababa in October, attended by Commissioner Urpilainen. It further rolls out the EU positive and sustainable Global Gateway strategy and will boost trade, economic integration and resilience in the region with €83 million support from the EU budget.
Global Gateway: EU increases support to vaccine production in Rwanda as first mRNA facility opens
Marking the inauguration today of the first BioNTech Africa manufacturing site in Kigali, Rwanda, the European Union has increased its Global Gateway investments in the country under the Team Europe Initiative on manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Africa (MAV+).
EU and Kenya sign ambitious Economic Partnership Agreement with strong sustainability provisions
The EU and Kenya today signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) to boost bilateral trade in goods, increase investment flows, and contribute to sustainable economic growth.
The EPA provides a platform to support job creation on both sides, along with targeted cooperation to enhance Kenya's economic development. It is the most ambitious trade deal ever signed by the EU with a developing country when it comes to sustainability provisions such as climate and environmental protection, labour rights and gender equality.
Hearing on the EU-Africa Strategy
On 28 November 2023, the Committee on Development held a public hearing on the EU-Africa Strategy. Members discussed how it delivered against the background of geopolitical tensions and changes that development cooperation has undergone recently. Moderators: Mr Carlos Zorrinho and Mr Karsten Lucke.
COP28: EU announces over €20 billion for Team Europe Initiative on Africa-EU Green Energy Initiative
On December 2nd, during the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), Executive Vice President of the European Commission Maroš Šefčovič announced a Team Europe pledge of more than €20 billion for the Africa-EU Green Energy Initiative (AEGEI), an initiative launched during the 6th EU-AU Summit, in February 2022.
EU and Angola sign first-ever Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement
The EU and Angola signed on November 17, 2023, a Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement (SIFA), the first EU agreement of its kind, during the EU-Angola Business Forum in Luanda. It responds to Angola's ambition to diversify its economy beyond the oil and gas sectors, which historically attracted most foreign investment.
The agreement, with its commitments to improve business climate and sustainability across the economy, is expected to attract new EU investment to sectors where Angola's potential is currently untapped. The EU-Angola Business Forum confirmed opportunities for investments notably in green energy, agri-food value chains, digital innovation, fisheries, logistics, and critical raw materials.
The main objective is to increase sustainable investment by EU businesses in Angola, while Angolan businesses will benefit from facilitation measures and from improved linkages between foreign investors and domestic suppliers.
Samoa Agreement: EU and its Member States sign new Partnership Agreement with the Members of the Organisation of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States
On November 15th, 2023, the EU and its Member States signed a new Partnership Agreement with the Members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) that will serve as an overarching legal framework for their relations for the next twenty years. This agreement succeeds the Cotonou Agreement and will be known as the “Samoa Agreement”. The agreement covers subjects such as sustainable development and growth, human rights and peace and security.
The denomination of the Agreement was agreed at the 46th session of the ACP-EU Council of Ministers, which took place right before the signature ceremony, also in Samoa.
Global Gateway Forum: EU and Finnfund launch the Africa Connected Programme to mobilise more than €1 billion of sustainable investments in digital infrastructure
At the Global Gateway Forum, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, and Finnfund CEO, Jaakko Kangasniemi, have officially signed the Africa Connected Programme, a landmark guarantee agreement aimed at mobilising more than €1 billion in sustainable investments for digital infrastructure and digital service platforms in Sub-Saharan Africa. Finnfund becomes a first-time implementing partner of European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus, the Global Gateway’s financial arm.