Question NW543 to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
07 March 2022 - NW543
Hlengwa, Mr M to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
With reference to the remarks by the President of the European Commission, Ms Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen, following the 6th European Union – African Union Summit on 18 February 2022, that the European Union wants to be Africa’s partner of choice and that Africa is rich in renewable power, if one looks at hydro power, solar power, wind power, as well as the fact that the European Union, under the Africa – Europe Plan, is planning to further capitalise on the partnership to boost the economy and create decent job opportunities and what are the full details of projects in the pipeline?”
Reply:
During the recently concluded African Union (AU) – European Union (EU) Summit which took place in Brussels, Belgium from 17-18 February 2022, the European Union Commission President, H.E. Ms Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU’s Global Gateway Investment initiative, aims to invest €300 billion in public and private infrastructure schemes around the world by 2027.
Ms von der Leyen announced that under this initiative, Africa will be allocated funding worth €150 billion in investments over the next 7 years on the following focus areas:
- Investments
- Health
- Education
According to the AU-EU Summit Declaration, the Africa-EU Package is aimed at boosting large-scale sustainable investments, supported by Team Europe Initiatives, with due consideration to the priorities and needs of the African countries, including:
i) Investment in energy, transport and digital infrastructure aligned with the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa Priority Action Plan II (PIDA PAP II);
ii) Energy transition that is fair, just and equitable, taking into account specific and diverse orientations of the African countries with regard to access to electricity;
iii) Green transition including supporting the implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) of African Countries under the Paris Agreement to enhance mitigation and adaptation;
iv) Digital transformation that supports trusted connectivity through investments in infrastructures and an affordable and enhanced access to the digital and data economy while boosting digital entrepreneurship and skills;
v) Sustainable growth and decent job creation, including by investing in the establishment of youth-owned businesses in Africa;
vi) Transport facilitation and efficiency of connected transport networks; and
vii) Human development, notably through scaling up mobility and employability of students, young graduates and skilled workers. It will also support industrialisation and the development of sustainable and resilient value and supply chains.
Currently, there is no action plan or list of projects regarding the investment package announced at the Summit.
As per normal practice following the AU-EU Summit, both the AU and the EU are supposed to jointly develop an action plan detailing the projects which will be financed and implemented by both partners during the next three years.