Ahead of the 7th African Union-European Union Summit in Luanda, we were honoured to co-convene “From Cairo to Luanda: A 25-Year Parliamentary Stocktake of AU-EU Relations” alongside the Pan-African Parliament, the EU Parliament, the Open Society Foundations (OSF), and the Centre for Human Rights.
This dialogue took place on November 7th at the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), bringing together over 50 Members of the PAP, European parliamentarians, experts, and civil society.
With keynote addresses from the President of the PAP and the EU Ambassador in Addis Ababa, the session focused on translating 25 years of partnership into a more equitable, effective, and people-centered reality. The goal: strengthening the parliamentary dimension as a democratic channel for citizens across both continents.
Presentations by ETTG experts Claire Kumar, ODI Europe, and Benedikt Erforth & Julian Bergmann from IDOS, dived into critical pillars for the upcoming summit:
- Peace & Security: Critically evaluating shared frameworks for stability and conflict resolution.
- The Green Transition & Global Gateway: Analysing investment to ensure it delivers sustainable growth and moves beyond extractive dynamics.
- Equitable Access to Resources: Focusing on how to manage Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) for mutual benefit.
- Migration, Mobility & Skills: Debating balanced and mutually beneficial approaches to human development.
The exchanges highlighted a clear consensus: for the AU-EU partnership to succeed, it must be built on a foundation of equity, accountability, and genuine collaboration.
These discussions and recommendations are dedicated to feeding directly into the preparations for the Luanda Summit on November 24-25. We believe robust parliamentary engagement is vital for a more democratic and citizen-centered AU-EU partnership.
