Dispatches from Brussels
EU launches new programme to support Africa's continental integration
The first ever EU programme in development and cooperation that covers Africa as a whole, called "Pan-African Programme", has today been launched with an allocation of €415 million for this first phase (2014-2017). Welcoming the initiative, EU Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs, said: "The major innovation of this programme is that it allows the EU to link up the cooperation it has with Northern Africa, South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa".
It will contribute, amongst others, to increased mobility on the African continent, better trade relations across regions and also better equip both continents for addressing trans-national and global challenges, such as climate change or security. It will fund projects ranging from sustainable agriculture, environment, and higher education to governance, infrastructure, as well as research and innovation.
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-908_en.htm