The Pan-African Parliament convened a joint sitting of the Committee on Cooperation, International Relations and Conflict Resolution and the Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs in Midrand to prepare a parliamentary perspective ahead of the upcoming AU–EU Summit, scheduled for 24–25 November 2025 in Angola.
During the meeting, Members emphasised the role of Parliament in championing Africa’s priorities, promoting accountability, and ensuring a sustainable Africa–Europe partnership. The session was jointly chaired by Hon. Salem Gnan, Chairperson of the PAP Committee on Cooperation and International Relations, and Hon. Therese Fare, Chairperson of the Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs.
Opening the session, Jeggan Grey-Johnson, Africa Advocacy Advisor at the Open Society Foundations (OSF), welcomed participants and highlighted that the Summit would mark twenty-five years of Africa–Europe partnership. He recalled that Heads of State and Government would discuss peace and security, economic integration and trade, green development, digitalisation, migration, mobility, and human development. He reminded members that the last Summit had pledged an Africa–Europe investment package of at least €150 billion, alongside $13 billion in Special Drawing Rights, much of which was intended to support African economies. He stressed that parliamentary engagement is vital to ensure governments are held accountable.
Building on this, Dr. Benedict Er Forte of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability reflected on the history of AU–EU summits, noting that migration and security had often dominated Europe’s agenda, causing frustration among African partners. He outlined that the forthcoming Summit would focus on four thematic pillars: Prosperity and Sustainability; Peace, Security and Governance; Migration and Mobility; and Multilateralism. These pillars align with Africa’s Agenda 2063 and echo previous commitments, underlining the importance of continuity alongside practical results. Dr. Benedict emphasised that delivering on these pillars requires balancing historical agreements with forward-looking pragmatism, understanding the limitations between the two regional organisations, and establishing strong mechanisms for implementation and monitoring. He also highlighted the importance of shared ownership, as well as fostering people-to-people and parliament-to-parliament exchanges between summits, to ensure commitments translate into tangible impact and strengthen ongoing Africa–Europe dialogue.
From the African side, Dr. Ibrahima Kane, consultant for the Open Society Foundations-Africa, thanked PAP for ensuring civil society voices were part of the dialogue. He stressed that Africa must define its own priorities within the AU–EU partnership, cautioning against Europe dictating the terms of engagement, and called for mechanisms of co-decision. Dr. Kane highlighted the need for industrialisation, digitalisation, and beneficiation of Africa’s natural resources, and noted that migration is a structural challenge linked to limited opportunities. He urged Europe to invest in African job creation and sustainable development to address the root causes of migration.
During plenary exchanges, Members of Parliament raised concerns about refugees perishing in the Mediterranean despite previous Summit commitments, cautioned against aid fostering dependency, and emphasised that migration should be addressed jointly through job creation, education, and inclusive governance. They also recommended that the November Summit integrate additional priorities, including justice and reparations for African peoples, Africa’s call for representation on the UN Security Council, and the establishment of a fairer international financial system, all within the four thematic pillars.
Responding, Dr. Benedict acknowledged that European policymakers have historically framed migration through a security lens, which has created mistrust, but noted a shift towards recognising development, youth empowerment, and mobility as equally important elements. He emphasised that African parliaments, particularly PAP, have a critical role in ensuring accountability and translating commitments into tangible impact.
Hon. Salem reiterated that true partnership must be based on equity and mutual respect rather than a donor–recipient dynamic. He stressed that migration must be addressed through deeper cooperation, sustainable development, and the fair exploitation of Africa’s resources to build strong and independent African economies. Members agreed that PAP must insist on the implementation of past commitments while shaping a future partnership reflecting Africa’s priorities.
The sitting concluded with consensus that the Pan-African Parliament must play an active role at the AU–EU Summit, serving not only as an observer but as the parliamentary voice of the African Union, ensuring that Africa’s citizens are represented in decisions shaping the continent’s future relations with Europe.
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