Africa is at the heart of our globalised world. Although it is a continent often seen through the lens of global problems, it is also at the forefront in creating new opportunities. Therefore, the time has come to move on from the old-fashioned view of Africa which focused on poverty, instability and conflicts, and adopt a more positive and constructive vision reflecting new realities in this vast and rapidly changing continent.

Africans and Europeans must become genuine partners to the benefit of both hemispheres. We share a common history, full of achievements but also of suffering and pain. We face similar global challenges and we can work together for a better future. We share the same vision of peace, security, prosperity and social justice. However, our views often diverge on concrete initiatives and policies. Relations between Africa and Europe have been dominated by European interests and concerns – economic, security and migration issues – for too long, which has to end.

In the context of Africa-EU relations, we cannot ignore that Europe is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude unprecedented in modern times. In this respect, the political and economic challenges (lack of freedom and opportunities) that many African countries continue to face cannot be disregarded. The European response to this crisis must be based on solidarity between EU member states, but also on a proactive strategy for close co-operation with countries of origin, transit and destination in Africa, with a view to tackling the root causes of migratory flows. In addition, we should not forget that some African countries host more migrants than those arriving in Europe and that these countries need urgent support. As long as Africa experiences migration crises, Europe will have to face them too.

Africa-EU relations have a solid institutional background based on the Cotonou Agreement on EU co-operation with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries (signed in 2000, revised in 2005 and 2010, and expiring in 2020), the 2007 joint EU-Africa strategy, the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 2015 Paris global climate agreement, as well as the outcomes of the 2014 EU-Africa summit, the 2015 Valletta summit and the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit. This framework should continue to develop with the follow-up to the Cotonou Agreement, Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), the new EU strategy for Africa and the outcomes of the 2016 Habitat III conference and the next EU-Africa Summit in 2017.

Now more than ever, the EU needs an ambitious policy towards Africa, leading to a genuine partnership between both sides. This renewed partnership must be based on common interests and mutually shared values – human rights, democratic principles, the rule of law and good governance in particular – leading to win-win solutions that benefit both sides.

We have to keep in mind that Africa is a growing political and economic actor on the global stage. The majority of African countries have enjoyed a decade or more of uninterrupted economic growth – essentially based on the export of raw materials, which makes them dependent on volatile market prices, highlighting again the importance of diversifying their economies. However, economic development combined with increasingly solid regional organisations and the African Union (AU) strengthen African positions on the global level. Therefore, it is no surprise that Africa is becoming an important arena for global political and economic competition.

Africa is full of potential for the future. Demographic trends in African societies are both a blessing and a challenge. Economic growth has to be translated into job creation – African countries need to create 18 million jobs per year in the short term – and into a fair distribution of wealth within society. The EU and its member states, which are not only the main donors but also the main investors in the continent, will play a major role in developing the local economy in Africa. This must go hand-in-hand with social justice and reducing the huge inequalities in African societies, as well as fighting illicit financial flows and corruption.

In political terms, strengthening democracy, the rule of law and human rights remain key challenges in Africa. The S&D Group is ready to invest in institutions promoting democratic values and the rule of law in African countries – including the ACP-EU framework and its Joint Parliamentary Assembly – as well as in our relations with democratic political forces in the continent, especially with progressive political parties and like-minded civil-society organisations keen to protect these values. Strengthening the participation of civil society remains a crucial challenge, which needs to be addressed through inclusive political dialogue and appropriate consultative forums and processes. In this spirit, the S&Ds welcome the emergence of young democratic movements such as Balai citoyen in Burkina Faso, Filimbi in the Democratic Republic of Congo or Y en a marre in Senegal, to name just a few. These movements can play an important role in strengthening democracy and the rule of law in their respective countries and deserve our support.

This position paper advocates a new partnership between the EU and Africa. It is based on the S&D Group’s conviction that we should work less for but more with Africa in the spirit of African ownership of our joint action. It does not aim to cover all possible dimensions of Africa-EU relations, but focusses on policy areas and issues of particular importance for the S&Ds, as a solid basis for defining an S&D Africa action plan. Although we agree that the challenges in North Africa are as much African as Mediterranean issues, the scope of this paper is limited to Sub-Saharan Africa, without expanding our reflections to the Maghreb and Mashreq regions, which are part of the European Neighbourhood Policy.