Fact Sheets on the European Union
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Africa

EU cooperation with African countries and the African Union (AU) is based on two distinct frameworks: namely (a) the Joint Africa-EU strategy and (b) the Partnership Agreements with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) states.
The legal basis for the political, economic and development aspects of the partnership between the EU and the ACP states was established by the Cotonou Agreement in 2000. This was replaced, on 15 November 2023, by the Samoa Agreement, which was negotiated to modernise and upgrade the partnership.
The Joint Africa-EU strategy has been implemented through multiannual roadmaps and action plans adopted at each EU-AU summit, which traditionally takes place every three years. At the EU-AU summit held in February 2022 in Brussels, EU and AU leaders agreed on ‘A Joint Vision for 2030’, which aims to consolidate a renewed partnership based on solidarity, security, peace, sustainable development and shared prosperity. The third EU-AU ministerial meeting took place on 21 May 2025, with the participation of the new AU leadership. This meeting reviewed progress on the Joint Vision for 2030, and paved the way for the seventh EU-AU summit, which took place in Luanda, Angola from 24 to 25 November 2025, marking 25 years of the partnership since the Cairo summit in 2000. The EU Political and Security Committee and the AU Peace and Security Council held their 16th consultative meeting in Brussels from 8 to 9 October 2025.The EU is Africa’s most significant donor of official development assistance. This is mainly funded by the EU’s general budget through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe.

Legal basis

The ACP-EU partnership

For over two decades, relations between the EU and sub-Saharan Africa were underpinned by the Cotonou Agreement, which had set out the basis for relations between the EU and 78  of the 79 countries[1] that formed the ACP states – which became the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) in April 2022.

The Cotonou Agreement, initially set to expire in 2020, was extended several times until November 2023. The agreement aimed to eradicate poverty and promote the integration of ACP countries into the world economy. It was structured into three pillars of cooperation:

  • Political;
  • Development;
  • Economic and trade.

The agreement was implemented by joint ACP-EU institutions, including a Council of Ministers, a Committee of Ambassadors and a Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

The negotiations on the ‘post-Cotonou agreement’ between the EU and the OACPS were concluded in December 2020. However, the signing of the new agreement was delayed until November 2023 due to internal EU disagreements and reservations from two EU Member States.

The Samoa Agreement, signed in November 2023, replaces the Cotonou Agreement and marks a new chapter in EU-OACPS relations. The agreement brings two major changes, namely the strengthening of the parliamentary dimension within the institutional framework and the splitting of the agreement into three regional protocols. It represents a modernised and upgraded partnership between the EU and the OACPS, building on the foundations laid by the Cotonou Agreement.

The Samoa Agreement sets out six strategic priority areas for cooperation: human rights, democracy and governance; peace and security; human and social development; inclusive sustainable economic growth and development; environmental sustainability and climate change; and migration and mobility. It also stresses the relevance of cooperation between the parties in international forums, and of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Cooperation is structured into three regional protocols reflecting the different priorities of the ACP regions. The EU-Africa Protocol has become the key legal framework for relations between the EU and sub-Saharan Africa. The regional priority areas encompass: inclusive and sustainable economic growth; human and social development; the environment and natural resources; peace and security; the rule of law, justice, democracy and governance; human rights and gender equality; and migration and mobility. This new protocol assigns a greater role to EU-AU dialogue and cooperation than the Cotonou Agreement.

The Samoa Agreement provides for joint institutions, in particular an OACPS-EU Council of Ministers and four interparliamentary assemblies, comprising an umbrella OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and three regional parliamentary assemblies (PAs): the Africa-EU PA, the Caribbean-EU PA and the Pacific-EU PA (see the briefing by the European Parliamentary Research Service entitled ‘After Cotonou: towards a new agreement with the African, Caribbean and Pacific states’). These four parliamentary assemblies were formally constituted in February 2024, when they met for the first time in Luanda, Angola and adopted their Rules of Procedure. Each of the four assemblies will hold one ordinary annual meeting, which will rotate between an EU and an ACP venue. The regional assemblies may also hold additional meetings in conjunction with the annual OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

The Africa-EU strategy and EU partnership with Africa

The initial joint Africa-EU strategy was adopted by EU and African leaders at the second EU-Africa summit in Lisbon in 2007 and defined the political vision for the Africa-EU partnership. Its goals are to:

  • Move beyond donor-recipient cooperation, opening Africa-EU relations to issues of joint political concern;
  • Expand cooperation by addressing common global challenges such as migration, climate change, peace and security, and to reinforce cooperation in international forums;
  • Support Africa’s aspirations to encourage trans-regional and continental responses to these significant challenges;
  • Work towards a people-centred partnership, ensuring better participation of African and European citizens.

In March 2020, in advance of the sixth EU-AU summit, the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy issued a joint communication entitled ‘Towards a comprehensive Strategy with Africa’. It proposed enhanced cooperation revolving around five pillars: the green transition and energy access; the digital transformation; sustainable growth and jobs; peace and governance; and migration and mobility.

On 25 March 2021, Parliament adopted a resolution on a new EU-Africa Strategy – a partnership for sustainable and inclusive development. It echoed and reinforced parts of the strategy jointly proposed by the Commission and the High Representative, such as sustainable and inclusive growth, while calling for an increased focus on other areas, such as human development, social inclusion, human rights, the empowerment of women and young people, and resilient agriculture. On migration, it considered that the success of the partnership would depend on significant improvements in mobility opportunities and called for legal migration channels to be further developed.

At the sixth EU-AU summit (held in Brussels from 17 to 18 February 2022), EU and AU heads of state and government agreed on a declaration entitled ‘A Joint Vision for 2030’. The Joint Vision consolidates a strategic, long-term footing for EU-Africa relations in a globalised world. It strives to strengthen economic cooperation and promote sustainable development, with both continents co-existing in peace, security, democracy, prosperity, solidarity and human dignity while bringing together our peoples, regions and organisations. The renewed partnership addresses both the immediate opportunities and challenges, as well as the long-term possibilities of the partnership, focusing on actions at continental and regional level where the EU and Africa have a collective capacity to deliver. The vision entails four deliverables:

  • An Africa-Europe Investment Package aiming to provide EUR 150 billion in investments to promote diversified, sustainable and resilient economies on the African continent;
  • Renewed and enhanced cooperation on peace and security;
  • An enhanced and reciprocal partnership on migration and mobility;
  • A commitment to strengthen multilateralism within the rules-based international order, with the UN at its core.

The sixth EU-AU summit was followed up by a joint meeting of the AU and the EU’s College of Commissioners on 28 November 2022. The third EU-AU ministerial meeting took place on 22 May 2025, with the participation of the new AU leadership. This meeting reviewed progress on the Joint Vision for 2030, and paved the way for the seventh EU-AU summit, which took place in Luanda, Angola from 24 to 25 November 2025, marking 25 years of the partnership since the Cairo summit in 2000.

In the lead up to the seventh EU-AU summit, Parliament adopted a resolution calling for a new equal partnership between the EU and Africa, built on mutual respect, shared interests and joint multilateral action. It emphasises the need to focus on practical cooperation with tangible outcomes, prioritising areas such as peace, security, infrastructure and digital connectivity through the Global Gateway investment instrument, and economic growth driven by private sector development. It also stresses the importance of strengthening joint efforts to combat terrorism and organised crime, and implementing migration policies that address the root causes while respecting Member States’ competences. Furthermore, it highlights the need to institutionalise the parliamentary dimension of EU-AU summits, including regular pre-summit meetings with the Pan-African Parliament, thematic exchanges between parliamentary committees, and annual high-level dialogues on key topics such as peace and security, trade and economic cooperation, migration and mobility, and climate change and sustainability. This will ultimately contribute to the development of a joint EU-AU action plan for 2025-2030, with measurable targets that include doubling trade and investment, establishing a mobility and visa framework, and launching a digital green partnership.

Development cooperation

The EU and its Member States remain Africa’s most significant donor of official development assistance.

As a result of the negotiations on the EU’s 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework (see separate fact sheet 1.4.3 Multiannual financial framework), development cooperation is covered by the comprehensive Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI – Global Europe), fully incorporated into the EU budget. Previously, most of the EU’s development assistance to African countries was provided from the European Development Fund, which was separate from the EU budget.

NDICI – Global Europe simplifies the EU’s external financing architecture by replacing and merging 10 instruments under the previous budgetary cycle (2014-2020) into one comprehensive instrument. It strengthens the EU’s capacity to deliver on its strategic priorities and international commitments by providing flexibility and innovative tools to build greater trust and collaboration with EU partner countries. Global Europe is driven by a ‘policy first’ and ‘value-driven’ approach that will enable the EU to take a stronger geopolitical stance in its external action.

With a budget of nearly EUR 80 billion for the period 2021-2027, Global Europe covers more than 70% of the EU’s financing for external relations. The programme is based on three pillars: geographical programmes, thematic programmes and rapid response actions. Geographical programmes, which will be the primary implementation mechanism, focus on regions such as the EU’s neighbourhood, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas and the Caribbean. This approach allows for more strategic and coherent EU action worldwide, tailored to the needs of partner countries. The programme prioritises the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as the empowerment of civil society organisations worldwide, to drive positive change and foster a more just, equitable and stable world.

Trade relations

The Cotonou Agreement allowed the EU and ACP countries to negotiate development-oriented trade agreements called Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). This has continued under the Samoa Agreement, where EPAs represent the main tool for accessing the EU single market. Trade between the EU and African countries – together with regional and continental economic integration – is considered a fundamental element of promoting sustainable development in Africa. In addition, unilateral schemes allow preferential market access to the EU for most sub-Saharan countries (see separate fact sheet 5.2.3 Trade regimes applicable to developing countries).

The EPAs are the principal instruments for promoting trade between the EU and African regions, and are considered to be fully compatible with World Trade Organization rules. However, the negotiation of these EPAs, which started in 2002, has proven more difficult than expected and has been met with considerable resistance from some African governments, local civil society groups and trade unions. Therefore several EPAs, which were meant to cover entire African regions, are only being provisionally applied with countries willing to do so, such as Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon and Kenya (for more information, see the European Parliamentary Research Service briefing entitled ‘EU economic partnership agreements with ACP countries’).

Role of the European Parliament

As with other international agreements, the conclusion of the Samoa Agreement legally requires the consent of Parliament (Article 218 TFEU), although the agreement can be partially and provisionally applied before consent is given and before all EU and OACPS member states have ratified it. Parliament contributed to the Samoa Agreement negotiations by adopting resolutions before and during the process and by setting up a monitoring group led by its Committee on Development. Following the negotiations and the signing of the agreement, Parliament gave its consent on 10 April 2024.

Parliament’s consent is also required for any EPA concluded with ACP countries. In addition, Parliament has actively contributed to shaping the NDICI – Global Europe financial instrument and is overseeing its implementation.

Parliament has several standing interparliamentary delegations for relations with African countries and institutions. The principal body in which Parliament cooperates on such matters has been the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, composed of Members of the European Parliament and members of parliament from the OACPS, which plays a fundamental role in strengthening parliamentary relations between the EU and its OACPS partners and was based on Article 14 of the Cotonou Agreement. Besides the establishment of regional parliamentary assemblies, one of Parliament’s key demands during the negotiations was to maintain a Joint Parliamentary Assembly in the new agreement, which it considered to be an essential condition for its consent. Delegations for each of the new PAs were formally set up in December 2023, including a delegation to the Africa-EU PA. This delegation consists of 48 MEPs, each of whom is also a member of the new OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Parliament has also developed forms of parliamentary cooperation with the AU through its Delegation for Relations with the Pan-African Parliament, established in 2009. Parliamentary summits typically accompany the intergovernmental ones, with parliamentary summits issuing a joint declaration directly to the heads of state or government at the beginning of each intergovernmental summit.

The EU also has privileged parliamentary relations with South Africa, which were strengthened in 2007 by the South Africa-EU Strategic Partnership - the EU’s only bilateral strategic partnership with an African country. This is also reflected by Parliament’s dedicated standing Delegation for relations with South Africa, which held its 28th Inter-Parliamentary meeting (IPM) from 18 to 19 February 2025 in Cape Town, where a Joint Declaration was adopted. The eighth EU-South Africa summit took place on 13 March 2025, also in Cape Town. The 29th IPM took place in Brussels from 5 to 6 November 2025, preceding the 20th G20 Summit from 22 to 23 November 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa. This was the first G20 summit to be held on the African continent on the occasion of South Africa’s first G20 presidency, which ran from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025.

 

[1]The exception was Cuba.

Rose BAGUDU / Tanya BOLNEVA MIHAYLOVA