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Events

2022/10/05
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2022/06/23
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2022/06/23
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted a resolution by 463 votes to 43, with 81 abstentions, on the future of EU-Africa trade relations.

Africa is a key geographical priority in the EU's new trade strategy. Given the importance of a strengthened dialogue between the EU and Africa, Parliament stressed that the EU should do more to ensure that the partnership goes beyond the traditional donor-recipient relationship. The Commission should deepen and better structure its cooperation with African partners and therefore establish a regular high-level political dialogue with a parliamentary dimension involving also the European Parliament.

Parliament stressed the importance of creating a resilient, competitive and robust industrial base and infrastructure in Africa with a view to developing resilient value chains and processing high value-added raw materials in Africa. In this regard, it stressed the need to help Africa adapt its own independent macroeconomic, fiscal, monetary and trade policies and called on the Commission to enable the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) countries to protect their infant industries. Environmental protection efforts should be placed at the centre of cooperation policies.

New basis for partnership

Members believe that the EU needs a whole new basis for its economic partnership with Africa, based on a level playing field, equality, mutual respect and understanding . This is a unique opportunity to re-launch trade relations between the two continents, to engage in a renewed, mutually beneficial and sustainable partnership based on solidarity and cooperation, and to reshape economic and trade relations with a view to empowering Africa.

The resolution stressed that the conclusions of the Sixth EU-AU Summit should be a new starting point for taking EU-Africa relations forward and called on the Commission to enter into a bilateral and structured dialogue with African partners and to pursue EU-Africa relations through regional and multilateral action.

Noting the lack of support from many African governments for the UN General Assembly resolution condemning the aggression against Ukraine, Parliament called on the Commission to investigate the various reasons for this scepticism and to intensify diplomatic efforts to reach common positions in the face of military aggression on both continents.

Parliament called on the EU to actively support the African Continental Free Trade Area . Among other things, it called for:

- support for a multi-stakeholder system that will allow the nations of the African Union to produce their own vaccines, which will pave the way for the development of scientific potential and reduce global dependence on a handful of corporations;

- the promotion of the development of regional value chains and better regional infrastructure in Africa;

- significant investment in transport infrastructure, connectivity and digitalisation to continue to create infrastructure for rural areas;

- engagement with African partners to promote gender equality and women's empowerment in EU-Africa trade relations;

- work with African countries to continue to facilitate and promote private investment on the continent; the EU's commitment to stimulate private sector investment to achieve the SDGs must be translated into binding human rights, social and environmental due diligence obligations.

Partnership of equals

Members consider that a new partnership of equals will best serve EU interests such as access to raw materials, shaping economic relations to promote the EU economy and managing migration, for example by addressing the root causes of problems. The EU should focus on constructive action on all aspects of migration, forced displacement and mobility, ensuring that migration takes place in a safe and well-regulated manner.

Noting the impact of COVID-19 on supply chains, the resolution stressed the importance of creating more resilient supply chains in the post-pandemic world , both in the EU and the African Union.

Deploring the major impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on energy, fuel, commodity and agricultural prices, Parliament called for increased action at international level to ensure that food security is at the heart of political decisions, in order to avoid shortages and ensure food security in the most vulnerable countries, especially on the African continent.

Parliament called on the EU and its Member States to commit to supporting African countries in implementing fair and ambitious climate action . The EU should deepen its economic and trade relations with Africa through investments that create decent jobs and promote human, labour and environmental rights. Parliament also suggested:

- developing an effective and easily accessible micro-credit system and, in this regard, to strengthen its capacity to support private sector development in Africa;

- increasing support to African countries and the African Union in the fight against illicit financial flows and corporate tax evasion;

- strengthening the integration of least developed countries into the international trading system;

- supporting the efforts of African partners to diversify their trade flows;

- establishing multilateral trade rules that support substantial and sustainable agriculture, based on comprehensive land reforms in various African states, in order to ensure food security throughout the continent.

Parliament stressed that the EU-Africa trade partnership must safeguard the right of African countries to food sovereignty , ensure respect for the principles of sustainability and should never undermine food security, safety and quality, nor promote deforestation or environmental degradation.

Members believe that imports from Africa, especially agricultural and food products, should meet EU health, safety and quality standards. They also stressed the need to help African countries reduce the use of pesticides banned in the EU by introducing alternative pest control systems.

Parliament recalled that the various EPAs should contribute to the development of intra-African integration and a fair and sustainable trade model, as well as to poverty reduction. It insisted on the right of African countries to regulate their raw materials in the public interest and called on the EU to refrain from adopting trade measures that prohibit African countries from levying export taxes on raw materials, provided this is compatible with WTO rules.

A vocational education and training system that provides people with the skills required by the labour market is a key element of development. In this context, Members believe that cooperation between universities, research institutions and vocational education and training programmes on both continents should be strengthened.

Documents
2022/06/22
   EP - Debate in Parliament
2022/06/03
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
Documents
2022/06/03
   EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Documents
2022/05/16
   EP - Vote in committee
2022/04/23
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2022/04/06
   EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2022/03/30
   EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2022/03/07
   EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2021/10/29
   EP - TOBÉ Tomas (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in DEVE
2021/10/25
   EP - FLANAGAN Luke Ming (GUE/NGL) appointed as rapporteur in AGRI
2021/10/07
   EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2021/07/14
   EP - SCHOLZ Helmut (GUE/NGL) appointed as rapporteur in INTA

Documents

Votes

Avenir des relations commerciales UE-Afrique - Future of EU-Africa trade relations - Die Zukunft der Handelsbeziehungen zwischen der EU und Afrika - A9-0169/2022 - Helmut Scholz - Proposition de résolution #

2022/06/23 Outcome: +: 463, 0: 81, -: 43
DE ES IT FR RO PL PT BE SE HU NL EL IE BG AT CZ DK SK LT HR CY LU FI SI MT EE LV
Total
84
48
65
62
28
47
20
20
19
13
27
17
12
12
16
16
12
12
8
9
6
6
10
5
5
5
3
icon: PPE PPE
146

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1
2

Luxembourg PPE

2

Finland PPE

1

Malta PPE

For (1)

1

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1
icon: S&D S&D
118

Greece S&D

For (1)

1

Bulgaria S&D

2

Czechia S&D

For (1)

1

Slovakia S&D

For (1)

1

Lithuania S&D

For (1)

1

Croatia S&D

2

Cyprus S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Finland S&D

1

Estonia S&D

2

Latvia S&D

For (1)

1
icon: Renew Renew
91

Italy Renew

3

Poland Renew

1
3

Hungary Renew

2

Greece Renew

1

Ireland Renew

2

Austria Renew

For (1)

1

Lithuania Renew

1

Croatia Renew

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Renew

2

Finland Renew

2

Slovenia Renew

For (1)

1

Estonia Renew

2

Latvia Renew

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
65

Spain Verts/ALE

2

Poland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Portugal Verts/ALE

1

Belgium Verts/ALE

3

Sweden Verts/ALE

3

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

Ireland Verts/ALE

2

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Czechia Verts/ALE

3

Denmark Verts/ALE

1

Lithuania Verts/ALE

2

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Finland Verts/ALE

3
icon: The Left The Left
32

Germany The Left

3

Portugal The Left

4

Belgium The Left

For (1)

1

Sweden The Left

For (1)

1

Netherlands The Left

For (1)

1

Denmark The Left

1

Cyprus The Left

2

Finland The Left

For (1)

1
icon: NI NI
29

Germany NI

Abstain (1)

2

France NI

2

Slovakia NI

Against (1)

Abstain (1)

2

Croatia NI

Abstain (1)

2

Latvia NI

1
icon: ECR ECR
52

Germany ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Romania ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Sweden ECR

2

Netherlands ECR

Abstain (1)

4

Bulgaria ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Slovakia ECR

Abstain (1)

1

Croatia ECR

Abstain (1)

1
icon: ID ID
54

Belgium ID

2

Netherlands ID

Against (1)

1

Austria ID

3

Czechia ID

Against (1)

1

Denmark ID

Against (1)

1

Finland ID

2
AmendmentsDossier
488 2021/2178(INI)
2022/02/10 DEVE 93 amendments...
source: 704.928
2022/02/15 AGRI 98 amendments...
source: 719.551
2022/03/30 INTA 297 amendments...
source: 730.105

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

docs/4
date
2022-05-18T00:00:00
docs
title: PE731.780
type
Amendments tabled in committee
body
EP
docs/5
date
2022-10-05T00:00:00
docs
url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=58437&j=0&l=en title: SP(2022)484
type
Commission response to text adopted in plenary
body
EC
docs/6
date
2022-06-23T00:00:00
docs
title: T9-0267/2022
type
Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
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EP
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Decision by Parliament
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title: T9-0267/2022
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2022-06-23T00:00:00
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Decision by Parliament
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summary
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2022-06-23T00:00:00
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Text adopted by Parliament, single reading
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EP
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date
2022-06-23T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament
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docs
title: T9-0267/2022
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Old
Awaiting Parliament's vote
New
Procedure completed
events/3
date
2022-06-22T00:00:00
type
Debate in Parliament
body
EP
forecasts
  • date: 2022-06-22T00:00:00 title: Debate in plenary scheduled
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https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/DEVE-AD-703264_EN.html
docs/5/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2022-0169_EN.html
events/2/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2022-0169_EN.html
forecasts/0/title
Old
Indicative plenary sitting date
New
Debate in plenary scheduled
docs/5
date
2022-06-03T00:00:00
docs
title: A9-0169/2022
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
body
EP
events/2/docs
  • title: A9-0169/2022
events/2
date
2022-06-03T00:00:00
type
Committee report tabled for plenary
body
EP
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting committee decision
New
Awaiting Parliament's vote
procedure/subject/6.40.07
Relations with African countries
docs/3
date
2022-04-23T00:00:00
docs
title: PE703.264
committee
DEVE
type
Committee opinion
body
EP
docs/4
date
2022-05-18T00:00:00
docs
title: PE731.780
type
Amendments tabled in committee
body
EP
events/1
date
2022-05-16T00:00:00
type
Vote in committee
body
EP
forecasts/0
date
2022-06-06T00:00:00
title
Indicative plenary sitting date
forecasts/0
date
2022-05-16T00:00:00
title
Vote scheduled in committee
forecasts/0/date
Old
2022-06-06T00:00:00
New
2022-06-22T00:00:00
forecasts/1
date
2022-06-06T00:00:00
title
Indicative plenary sitting date
procedure/Other legal basis
Rules of Procedure EP 159
procedure/subject/6.40.07
Relations with African countries
docs/2/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/AGRI-AD-703231_EN.html
docs/1/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/INTA-AM-730105_EN.html
docs/2/date
Old
2022-03-31T00:00:00
New
2022-04-06T00:00:00
docs/2
date
2022-03-31T00:00:00
docs
title: PE703.231
committee
AGRI
type
Committee opinion
body
EP
docs/1/date
Old
2022-03-29T00:00:00
New
2022-03-30T00:00:00
docs/1
date
2022-03-29T00:00:00
docs
title: PE730.105
type
Amendments tabled in committee
body
EP
docs/0/docs/0/url
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/INTA-PR-703108_EN.html
docs
  • date: 2022-03-07T00:00:00 docs: title: PE703.108 type: Committee draft report body: EP
forecasts/0/date
Old
2022-04-20T00:00:00
New
2022-05-16T00:00:00
forecasts/1
date
2022-06-06T00:00:00
title
Indicative plenary sitting date
committees/1/rapporteur
  • name: TOBÉ Tomas date: 2021-10-29T00:00:00 group: Group of European People's Party abbr: EPP
committees/2/rapporteur
  • name: FLANAGAN Luke Ming date: 2021-10-25T00:00:00 group: The Left group in the European Parliament - GUE/NGL abbr: GUE/NGL