7 EU-South Africa Relations
| (27676)
11263/06
COM(06) 347
| Commission Communication: Towards an EU-South Africa Strategic Partnership
|
| Legal base | — |
| Department | Foreign and Commonwealth Office
|
| Basis of consideration | Minister's letter of 27 April and 12 June 2007
|
| Previous Committee Report | HC 34-xxxvi (2005-06), para 20 (19 July 2006)
|
| Discussed in Council | 15 September 2006 General Affairs and External Relations Council
|
| Committee's assessment | Politically important
|
| Committee's decision | Cleared
|
Background
7.1 In its introduction, the Commission described South Africa
as "a country transformed" having built "a democratic,
tolerant and multiracial society" and having become "a
leading nation and a peace broker in the region and on the African
continent" with "authority not just in Africa but in
global multilateral institutions".
7.2 For its part, the Commission says, "an enlarged
EU has developed a new approach to North-South cooperation by
adopting three key policy papers on the Millennium Development
Goals, the European Consensus on Development and the EU Strategy
for Africa. It is strengthening its foreign action and seeks to
foster stability, security and prosperity worldwide. South Africa
therefore is a natural partner to Europe on the African continent
and on a global level."
7.3 There was already "a multifaceted, comprehensive
partnership based on the "Trade, Development and Cooperation
Agreement" (TDCA) between South Africa, the European Community
and its Member States. However, relations between South Africa
and the EU required "more coherence, clear objectives, and
a shared forward-looking political vision with a view to strengthening
joint political action". The partnership that the Commission
advocated "needs to clearly spell out what both sides can
expect from one another on the domestic, regional, continental
and global fronts, and do justice to South Africa's and the EU's
unique positions in the new, globalised world".
The Commission Communication
7.4 The Communication proposes "a comprehensive,
coherent and coordinated long-term framework for political cooperation"
which would "do justice to the role of South Africa as an
anchor on the continent and a key player on the international
scene". The current organisation of political dialogue is
based on exchanges with the EU Heads of Mission in Pretoria, regular
visits by Ministers and senior officials in both directions and
the annual Cooperation Council. In addition, exchanges between
the European Parliament and South African Parliament are held
through the EP Delegation for South Africa, and South Africa is
an active participant in the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.
"This institutional setup has been considered satisfactory
in the past, but needs to be reviewed in the light of the strategic
nature of the EU-South Africa partnership".
7.5 The proposed Strategic Partnership would seek
to:
— bring
the Member States, the Community and South Africa together in
a single and coherent framework, with clearly and jointly defined
objectives, covering all areas of cooperation and associating
all stakeholders;
— move from political dialogue to strategic
political cooperation and shared objectives on regional, African
and global issues; and
— enhance existing cooperation, developing
stronger and sustainable economic cooperation and fully implementing
the provisions of the existing Trade and Development Cooperation
Agreement (TDCA) on trade-related areas and extending cooperation
to the social, cultural and environmental fields.
7.6 On the basis of "these broad principles",
the Commission proposes that it should draft an Action Plan for
implementing the Communication, to be submitted to the Joint EU-South
Africa Cooperation Council in November and leading to a Joint
Declaration by the partners. It suggests that such an Action Plan
could focus on
— strengthened
political dialogue, leading to common political positions and
joint action;
— active joint involvement in regional
and global issues;
— implementation of a jointly drafted Country
Strategy Paper in line with this Communication; and
— revision and full implementation of the
TDCA according to the above priorities.
7.7 In an Annex, the Commission suggested a large
number of themes for enhanced political and economic cooperation
and for joint involvement in regional issues — particularly
the challenge of AIDS and "untangling the knot of regional
cooperation and integration". Nine Member States and the
South African authorities were jointly drafting a new 2007-2013
Country Strategy Paper, which should aim to "translate"
the broad political lines in the Communication and form part of
the Action Plan. The Commission and South Africa had also identified
the TDCA provisions that might need revising and suggested priorities
for those provisions that had not yet been implemented.
7.8 In a brief Explanatory Memorandum of 12 July
2006, the Minister for Africa at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (Lord Triesman) said that the Communication had made good
suggestions on how to streamline and simplify the EU-South Africa
relationship. He noted that the EU already has strategic partnerships
with the US, Canada, Russia, India, China, Japan, Latin America
and Africa. "Given South Africa's strategic importance in
Africa and emergence as a global power, the UK supports the proposal
to develop the EU-South Africa relationship into a truly strategic
partnership, enabling further regional co-operation and enhanced
dialogue". He said that the Communication would be presented
to the 15 September 2006 GAERC, with a view to the 14 November
2006 EU-South Africa Council making a Joint Declaration giving
political support to the Commission's Action Plan.
7.9 In clearing the Communication, we noted that
the case for such an enhanced relationship with the new South
Africa was self-evident and well made but that, as with all such
strategies and Action Plans, implementation would be what really
mattered, which in turn required both a realistic assessment of
the starting point and sensible ambitions; and asked the Minister
to write to us ahead of the November Cooperation Council meeting
with further information about what Action Plan was agreed and
his assessment thereof.
The Minister's letter of 27 April
7.10 In his 27 April letter, the Minister for Europe
at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr Geoffrey Hoon) said
that the draft action plan for the envisaged strategic partnership
had now been agreed by Member States, but had not yet been agreed
with South Africa; that the text would be submitted for approval
to the next EU-South Africa Ministerial Troika meeting on 14 May
2007; and that, if approved, he would forward it to us.
7.11 In the meantime, he noted that, if endorsed,
the action plan would follow closely the outline set out in the
Commission Communication, with particular emphasis on the common
agenda of promoting peace, security and stability in the world,
and in Africa in particular. He continued as follows:
"The action plan will strengthen and bring added
value to the existing relationship, with the aim of moving it
from political dialogue to active political co-operation on issues
of mutual interest at bilateral, regional, or global level. To
this end all parties will agree to establish a new overarching
framework.
"The action plan will provide the framework
for enhanced high level political dialogue, including political
dialogue twice a year in Troika format, and at Summit level on
a regular basis. The Summit, Ministerial Troika and Joint Co-operation
Council meetings will review effective implementations of decisions
taken and jointly decide on future actions. The action plan also
recognises the importance of regular and institutionalised parliamentary
interaction, and will aim to encourage the formalisation of the
South Africa-EU Parliamentary bilateral relations.
"On co-operation fora, the action plan
will confirm that South Africa and the European Union are committed
to full implementation of the Trade, Development and Co-operation
Agreement (TDCA). Incorporated within this is a commitment to
a joint European Union strategy for aid to South Africa, to which
ten donors have signed up, including the UK. The strategy, which
is the first in the world to be jointly agreed with other donors,
is currently going through the final stages of consultation. It
will principally comprise an intention to work jointly where feasible
on all aspects of aid programmes in South Africa operated through
the ten donors. The joint Strategy will account for 70% of all
donor aid to South Africa. But the action plan also provides for
the creation of additional fora for in-depth dialogue in areas
of mutual interest, which will report to the Joint Co-operation
Council. The aim will be to develop a stronger and sustainable
co-operation. Areas include:
- Trade and Investment, Economic
Co-operation;
- Science and Technology;
- Environmental Co-operation/Climate Change;
- Sharing experience on EU regional policy;
- Information and Communication Technology;
- Employment and Social Affairs;
- Combating Crime;
- Macro-economic Dialogue;
- Education and Training;
- Cultural Co-operation; and
- Sport and Recreation".
The Minister's letter of 12 June
7.12 In his second letter, the Minister confirms
that the Action Plan was approved both by EU Member States and
South Africa at the EU-South Africa Ministerial Troika meeting
on 14 May 2007.
Conclusions
7.13 We are grateful to the Minister for this
helpful summary of the content of the Action Plan, which we are
reporting to the House because of the widespread interest in southern
Africa and the vital leadership role therein of South Africa.
7.14 One of its key components is "active
political co-operation on issues of mutual interest at bilateral,
regional, or global level". As with all such partnerships
and their Action Plans, implementation is all. We should accordingly
like to believe we are not being unrealistic in hoping that taking
the EU-South Africa relationship to this new level will see a
broader force being brought to bear on tackling one of the most
egregious of such issues — the deplorable situation in Zimbabwe.
| 
