The Joint Africa – EU Strategy (JAES)

4.4.The Joint Africa – EU Strategy (JAES)

4.4.1.Introduction

While the commitment to Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) is made explicit in the JAES document (sections 11, 53, 72, and 73), it is the underlying principles of partnership and equality (jointly set priorities and objectives), the people-centredness (extending the dialogue and cooperation to non-institutional actors) and the multi-thematic nature that are key elements for PCD. Though it is still too early to judge the actual bearing of the JAES, all its innovative features make it an interesting case for studying the Strategy's (potential) impact on PCD.

The analysis below is structured according to the OECD Policy Coherence Cycle as described in the organisational chapter of this Report. The interaction between three types of mechanisms namely 1) setting and prioritisation, 2) coordinating policy and its implementation and 3) monitoring, analysis and reporting are key in (political) processes and from a 'whole-of-government' perspective to promote policy coherence for development. The JAES’s potential to improve synergies between different policy areas is examined as well as the value and potential offered by the partnership(s) at African and European levels in addressing global issues relevant to the PCD agenda.

4.4.2.The JAES and its potential for strengthening coherence

Source: Synthesis of EU member-state responses to PCD Questionnaires 2009

• 
  Setting and prioritising objectives
  

The Joint AU-EU Declaration on Climate Change, identifying concrete opportunities for further cooperation and dialogue in the run-up to the Climate Conference in Copenhagen, agreed within the Climate Change partnership, can also be regarded as an important PCD outcome. France and Morocco, as lead countries playing an active role in this partnership, as well as the African and European Commissions have worked closely to forge a common agenda and set joint objectives. The Joint Declaration merges environmental objectives with development measures and assistance.

Migration, Mobility and Employment (MME) is yet another JAES partnership that has revealed the capacity of the Joint Strategy to contribute to the PCD agenda. A project entitled 'Link emigrant communities for more development' was launched in The Hague on 23-24 June 2009 within the framework of this partnership. More initiatives and projects are under consideration. These include facilitating mobility of students within Africa (through mobility schemes such as the Nyerere programme) and between Africa and Europe (through programmes such as Erasmus Mundus)³³⁶ and a proposal to work towards the establishment of an EU-African Diaspora Network to ensure better dialogue with African Diaspora in Europe and stronger involvement of the Diaspora in the development of their countries of origin.

While priorities that can contribute to the PCD agenda can be identified in other partnerships as well, the main challenges for multiplying these examples of good PCD practice appear to be, at the political level, the degree of commitment by the actors to fully engage in the process and, at the technical level, the limited thematic expertise of the Joint Expert Groups (JEGs) established for the respective partnerships’ implementation. Information flow with and participation from line-ministries and administrations in the Joint expert Groups (JEGs) has remained low, with so far mostly officials from Foreign Ministries attending meetings. This demonstrates that the JAES process has not yet been fully integrated in the EU and African Member States' national political frameworks, and that more progress is needed to ensure better alignment.

• 
  Coordination and implementation
  

Within the European Commission, significant efforts have been made to strengthen the coordination and cooperation between the different services involved in JAES implementation. The network of designated Focal Points has been particularly useful to share information and align positions and initiatives across different Directorates General. Good progress has also been made in bringing together the thematic and geographic experts on the various partnerships, to mainstream the JAES priorities in the programming of the many Community instruments and in the mid-term review of the European Development Fund's national and regional indicative programmes. However, the situation is not entirely satisfactory when it comes to "treating Africa as one": additional efforts are required to ensure coordination since geographic (and cooperation) responsibilities for Sub-Saharan and Northern Africa are shared across several services. This would reinforce operational and policy coherence and facilitate the design of truly pan-African projects, initiatives and policies.

Within the Council of the EU, the Africa Working Group (AWG), which serves as a cross-pillar coordinating and monitoring body for implementation of the JAES, has met with the European national experts leading the implementation process in order to review progress in the thematic partnerships and to address cross-cutting issues. This work has been instrumental in ensuring the necessary transparency and information flow, both between Brussels and national capitals and between JEGs (in which only a limited number of Member States participate) and the full EU-27 format. The AWGhas also started to meet regularly with the AU's Representative to the EU, and with the Group of African Ambassadors in Brussels. However, the same 'geographical divide' persists between Northern Africa (dealt with in the Maghreb-Mashrek Working Group) and sub-Saharan Africa (within the AWG's remit), while other key issues such as development-policy, the Cotonou cooperation framework, or (2^nd pillar) Peace and Security issues and (3^rd pillar) Migration are covered by various other Groups. Nevertheless, by bringing Member States together under a new frame and in informal meetings, the JAES institutional architecture encourages information flows and exchanges, which are the first step towards enhanced aid effectiveness at EU level.

On the African side, with the 53 African Member States, the African Union Commission and the Regional Economic Communities, coordination and the ability to act and speak with one voice has been also a challenge. Yet, some stakeholders have reported that the JAES in general and some thematic partnerships in particular have contributed to acting as a catalyst for the beginning of discussions between African stakeholders on further articulating and consolidating common pan-African positions and priorities.

• 
  Monitoring, analysis and reporting progress
  

The involvement of Parliaments³³⁹, other institutions and bodies such as the EESC³⁴⁰ and ECOSOCC³⁴¹, the Committee of the Regions³⁴² and local authorities, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and civil society –through the EU CSO Steering Group³⁴³ and the AU CSO Steering Committee, but also the trade union confederations³⁴⁴ and research networks such as EARN- opens new channels for interaction, public scrutiny and accountability, between institutional actors and NSAs on EU-Africa relations. In addition, this broad involvement raises public awareness of the JAES and is another step towards an increased commitment to PCD.

The role of the European Parliament and Pan-African Parliament was recognised and ensured in the institutional structures to monitor the JAES and AP implementation. However, increased engagement of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) will be crucial for PCD monitoring of the different partnership policy areas and to hold to account different implementing partners, including the CSOs themselves. The European Peacebuilding Liaison Office, for instance, has suggested that the Peace and Security Partnership needs to focus more on the development-related side of security. Conducting PCD monitoring jointly, between the African and EU sides, would best exploit the potential of the JAES for PCD. Innovative ways to achieve a long-term solution that fosters synergies with existing PCD monitoring systems need to be explored.