Early deliverables for Trade and Regional Integration
There are various actions planned in the trade and regional integration partnership.
1) Supporting the African integration agenda
the Commission will use its Communication on regional integration as a vehicle for an enhanced dialogue on regional integration between EU institutions, Member States and African continental and regional organisations
The political and technical dialogue on key issues to make Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) a tool in support of regional integration for development will continue
The Commission will cooperate with EU Member States in the framework of the EU’s commitment to increasing its trade-related assistance to EUR 2 billion annually by 2010, and will in particular pursue its initiative for the joint design (by Commission and Member States) of regional “aid for trade” packages
2) A series of priority actions in the field of rules and standards
In the area of sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS), the Commission will contribute to provide Africa-wide trainings on SPS (Better Training for Safer Food initiative), and strengthen the capacity of the AUC officers on SPS issues through intensive trainings (e.g. on harmonisation issues) and exchange programmes
Other activities will comprise the creation of a platform to share information and to enhance participation of African countries in EU standard setting process, initiatives to improve knowledge on food and feed inspection services, and first discussions on the rehabilitation and modernisation of laboratories for plant and animal testing and certification on products such as fisheries or leather
The Commission will initiate discussions on a support programme to develop the capacities of firms and agencies in the field of industrial standards and normalisation. These actions will take into account ongoing programmes at the regional levels
3) Implementation of the Infrastructure partnership
The Infrastructure Trust Fund has so far received 146 MEuro in grants (contributions from 11 EU Member States and from the 9th EDF), and the European Commission is proposing future substantial allocations, notably under the 10th EDF’s intra-ACP line. 8 major infrastructure projects have been approved by the Executive Committee, and the 2nd meeting of the Steering Committee should take place in November 2008 in Addis Ababa. The start-up phase of the Partnership is supported through a 10 MEuro allocation , and some of the planned initial activities are already under way
The reinforcement of theA UC Department of Infrastructure is foreseen for early 2009
The AU Programme of Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) will be supported with 2 MEuro from the 55MEuro AU Capacity building programme, and the original allocation for sectoral masters plans will be consolidated to finance the PIDA
The European Commission will also promote triangular cooperation with China and Libya in the area of African infrastructure development, and will invite the AUC to participate in events on Trans-European Networks
the EU-Africa Aviation Summit in Windhoek on 01.12.2008 will lay the foundation for enhanced cooperation on civil aviation, and develop a roadmap for possible concrete cooperation activities
4) Activities in the area of customs, statistical harmonization and regional and cross-border cooperation
In the area of customs: the Commission will launch studies to assess the needs and potential for harmonisation of customs procedures and rules of origin at African level, and will provide support to customs reforms through information seminars on the basis of the EC “customs blueprints”
fields of statistical harmonisation: The Commission will also expand the exchange of experience and best practice on regional integration in the fields of statistical harmonisation, including through the transfer of Eurostat’s know-how in co-ordinating continent-wide statistical activities and the provision of harmonised high quality statistics to support policy initiatives
Eurostat will contribute to capacity building initiatives for pan-African organisations in the field of statistics, inter alia through by study visits and participation by African officials in Eurostat training courses
In the domain of regional and cross-border cooperation: the Commission will support Africa-wide capacity building in territorial planning, regional policy techniques, cross-border co-operation and
multi level governance through visits, high level conferences and exchange programmes with the AUC and other African regional groupings, in collaboration with FOGAR (Forum of Global Associations of Regions), CRPM (Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions) and other European regional associations
the AUC and other regional groupings will be invited to the high-level conference on ‘Regional Governance in a Global context’ (Brussels, 11-12.05.2009)
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