The EU’s Comprehensive Strategy with Africa needs local and regional governments

“Decentralised cooperation between Africa and Europe – city-to-city and region-to-region exchanges – is one important tool to guarantee Local and Regional Governments’ role in the development dynamic of partner countries”, states PLATFORMA in a reaction to the joint communication Towards a Comprehensive Strategy with Africa released by the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) on 9 March.

This communication will serve as the EU’s input for its upcoming summit with the African Union, due to take place at the end of October.

“The key role of the local level at different stages is clearly acknowledged”, writes PLATFORMA. The Commission specifically mentions the impact of EU development policy on African local governance, the intensification of “people-to-people contacts through exchange programmes, joint research activities or twinning initiatives” and the potential increase of “strategic and operational coordination and joint action” with local governments.

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