The future of AU-EU cooperation: Towards a new era?

Topical challenges to global governance provide relations between the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU) with a more than ever fertile ground for cooperation. The struggle of multilateralism and the fight against the pandemic offer the AU-EU partnership a unique opportunity to rise as one of the main forces leading global recovery initiatives and demonstrating the great value of multilateral cooperation. However, seizing this opportunity will require the AU and the EU to enhance their ties by mitigating deep-seated and long-standing asymmetries that prevent cooperation from achieving its full potential. Ultimately, making the case for multilateral governance calls for a new era of AU-EU cooperation based on inclusiveness, reciprocity and mutual trust.

The upcoming webinar will present the main findings of the research project The future of AU-EU cooperation: Towards a new era?, organised by the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) in collaboration with the Fondation Jean Jaurès (FJJ) and implemented with the support of the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI). Researchers will look at current practices in AU-EU cooperation by examining the main asymmetries and inequalities in three policy fields: institutional relations, development and trade, and peace and security. The analysis will highlight policy recommendations for AU and EU policy-makers and stakeholders, suggesting the way forward in order to upgrade cooperation to a balanced and inclusive partnership.