On 10 October 2024 the Africa-Europe Ocean Strategic Group presented its report on how to help the two continents work together on ocean issues.
The Group has been set up by the European Commission, in partnership with the African Union Commission, and it is run by the Africa-Europe Foundation with funding from the European Commission (European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). The report arises from the realisation that ocean governance has been often absent in the Africa-Europe Partnership, despite the importance the ocean has for the blue planet and lives of millions of people, and despite the African and European Union acknowledging the urgent need to harness global action for the ocean.
To facilitate this partnership, the report outlines an action plan titled the “Roadmap for an Enhanced Africa-Europe Ocean Partnership“. The plan identifies 17 main actions, prioritized as high, medium, or low, and breaks them down into over 100 specific activities.
The proposed Roadmap builds on the common development priorities and key workstreams identified for an enhanced Africa-Europe Ocean Partnership,
namely:
- Ocean Governance,
- Capacity Sharing, and
- Finance and Investment.
It highlights activities to help translate these priorities into concrete proposals and initiatives, as well as aligning and harmonising policies for the development of ocean governance and blue economy across Africa and Europe.
Next steps include the European Commission’s analysis of the report’s recommendations to determine their potential inclusion in its work program for 2025 and beyond. This effort is part of a broader strategy initiated in 2019, aiming to renew the partnership between the EU and Africa, with extensive stakeholder consultations informing the group’s findings.
I share the persuasion, clearly stated in the report, that is now high time for Europe and Africa to further develop their cooperation on ocean-related issues, given the poor state of the ocean and the need to accelerate collective action to meet the targets set in the UN 2030 Agenda.
… said Executive Vice-President for European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight Maroš Šefčovič , adding that Africa and Europe have a real opportunity and joint responsibility here to take concrete actions.
