Changes in EU foreign policy: implications for Southern Africa and the ACP

In the light of major changes within the European Union over the past year, the paper assesses the impact this has on how the European Union cooperates and trades with the ACP Group, Africa and Southern Africa in particular.

Major recent developments in the EU’s external relations include:

• increased resource allocations to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and to keep Africa on the international agenda
• increased used of European development money to address domestic concerns like migration or stability
• greater emphasis on performance based partnerships: more aid for countries that help themselves
• increased European emphasis on disbursement and financial accountability Promotion of the European role model of regional integration in the developing world
• growing trend within the EU to gradually move away from historically grown configurations to a more geographic/ regional or sub-regional association, cooperation and trade agreements.

The paper points out that Southern Africa and the ACP countries still need to find out in more detail what the implications will be of the changing priorities of the EU in terms of development finance and trade and how the region can benefit most from the changes in European external relations. This will require action on many fronts including:

• creating the appropriate governance context able to generate the necessary goodwill amongst EU and other donors to fully support regional initiatives
• making sure that EU takes development agenda of Doha Round and development aspects of EPAs serious
• stressing the importance of an integrated EU policy on Africa that can ensure a maximum of coherence among existing EU policies, trade and aid agreements and thematic budget lines
• using the ongoing national and forthcoming regional Mid Term Review of the NIPs and RIP to argue for changes in resource allocation and/or increases based on sound needs and impact assessments
• investing in stronger national and regional analytical and lobbying capacities towards EC, EU Member States and European Parliament on all the above mentioned issues.