On 7th December, the European Commission presented its proposal to set up a Pan African Programme of 1 billion € in the next budget of the European Union. This innovative proposal is part of the legislative package for the EU's 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework submitted for the decision by the budgetary authorities, namely EU Member States and the European Parliament.

The 'Pan African Programme' is the result of the Joint Africa-European Union Strategy adopted in 2007 and confirmed at the Third Africa-EU Summit in November 2010 as the framework for the relations between the two continents. Based on the key principles of partnership, mutual accountability and solidarity, the Joint Strategy aims at expanding dialogue and cooperation into promising new areas, developing win-win opportunities and promoting the common interests of Africa and the EU on the international stage. In this context, the Pan African Instrument will support the implementation of the Joint Strategy's successive Action Plans, for example in giving a joint response to new geopolitical challenges.

To do so, the European Commission proposes to include this new Pan-African Programme in the Development Cooperation Instrument, so as to complement the traditional instruments dedicated to Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular the European Neighbourhood Instrument and the European Development Fund, and to overcome their fragmentation. The Pan African Programme will notably support activities of trans-regional, continental and global nature. It is conceived as the financial centre of gravity of the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership.

Discussions will now start with the Council and the European Parliament so as to approve the financial perspectives in 2013 and possibly make the Pan African Instrument operational from 2014 onwards.

For more information:

• http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/finance/mff/financial_framework_news_en.htm
• http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/finance/documents/prop_reg_instrument_dev_coop_en.pdf