Commissioner Mimica visits Senegal
The European Commissioner responsible for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica i, is going to Senegal for the meeting of the Council of Ministers of the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) and the EU, which will be held in Dakar on 28 and 29 April 2016. Following last year's 40th anniversary of relations between the ACP and the EU, this year marks the beginning of discussions and work in preparation for negotiations on the possible continuation of these relations after 2020 when the current said Agreement that regulates relations between the two parties expires.
Commissioner Mimica will be taking part in discussions about EU-ACP cooperation, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the COP 21 conference on climate that was held in Paris in December 2015.
The two parties will also discuss the outcome of the 2015 Valletta Summit on migration and the new Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa. The agenda of the meeting also includes discussions on the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement, the current state-of-play of the European Development Fund and the implementation of the Investment Facility for an increased role for the private sector in African development.
European Commissioner Neven Mimica made the following statement: "This ACP-EU Joint Ministerial Council is particularly welcome at a time when we are thinking about the future of relations between the EU and the ACP countries. Our discussions on Agenda 2030, migration, climate change and trade will allow us to clarify the guidelines for our work in the coming years. I especially welcome this opportunity to visit a region from which so many people set off on a perilous journey in the hope of a better future. The actions of the Trust Fund will particularly target this region."
During his visit to Senegal, Commissioner Mimica will meet the President of the Republic, Macky Sall. He will also sign two contracts in Matam with the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) financed by the EU's Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa. These projects, with budgets of EUR 8 million and EUR 1.1 million respectively, aim to improve living conditions for the most vulnerable in society and to strengthen their resilience, their food and nutritional security, and access to basic services. They focus on the traditional migration areas of Podor, Ranérou, Matam and Kanel.
Background
EU-Senegal relations
The European Union's total allocation for Senegal under the 11th European Development Fund for the period 2014-2020 is EUR 347 million. The National Indicative Programme for the first phase (EUR 200 million for the period 2014-2017) covers 3 priority sectors: strengthening democratic governance, sustainable agricultural development and food security, and access to water and sanitation.
The European partners present in Senegal have committed themselves to programming their bilateral cooperation programmes jointly as from 2018. The total allocations for the period 2014-2017 amount to more than EUR 1 billion. The EU and its Member States are present in many development sectors.
Under the 11th European Development Fund, Senegal will also benefit from the Regional Indicative Programme for West Africa (EUR 1.15 billion for the period 2014-2020). A new Partnership Agreement in the field of sustainable fishing was signed in 2014, accompanied by a 5-year protocol.
Senegal is eligible for the EU Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa. Since the Valletta Summit, 5 new actions have been adopted in favour of Senegal for a total of EUR 73.6 million.
The programmes financed by the Emergency Trust Fund aim to improve the resilience of people in regions with high migration potential, to offer them economic opportunities and jobs to reinforce the capacity of the small and medium-sized enterprises that are so numerous in Senegal and have a lot of potential. The projects will make it possible to create professional training opportunities and also include an awareness campaign 'Succeed in Senegal' [Réussir au Sénégal]. Alongside this, action will focus on strengthening the management of migration, protecting migrants and addressing irregular migration.
EU-ACP relations
The EU and its Member States have a long-standing relationship with the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries. The current agreement with our ACP partners, the Cotonou Agreement, runs from 2000 to 2020.
It has three main pillars: (i) political cooperation, (ii) development cooperation, and (iii) economic and trade cooperation. This gives an idea of the scale and importance of an agreement that governs our day-to-day actions on the ground with our ACP partners.
At the moment the EU and its ACP partners are also thinking about how best to continue their joint interests after 2020. The Commission has recently engaged in wide-ranging consultations with partners, which have enabled it to sound out stakeholders in various policy areas.
For more information
Memo on Senegal: The European Union's Development Cooperation with Senegal
Website of Commissioner Neven Mimica: http://ec.europa.eu/commission/2014-2019/mimica_en
IP/16/1575
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