The Enlarged EU and Africa's Development

Policy
paper

This policy brief originates from the international conference The European Union and the development of Africa, held in Prague on 23 and 24 March 2006 by the French Centre for Research in Social Sciences (CEFRES) and the Development Centre of the Institute of International Relations (IIR).

In December 2005, the EU-25 adopted the new Strategy for Africa, based on the Millennium Development Goals. Keeping the commitments requires the new member states and re-emerging donors to adapt their development tools and policies. They are rediscovering the African continent, which has not been part of their foreign policy priorities since 1989. Indeed, the older member states have long experiences in development assistance to Africa: how can they transfer their expertise to the new member states within the European framework? Having learnt from their recent democratic and economic transitions, to what extent can the new member states contribute to Africa’s development?