Renew Europe charts a new course for EU-Africa relations
As liberal and progressive political leaders from Europe and Africa prepare to meet at the RENEWPAC Summit in Rabat, Morocco (7-9 April), Renew Europe is publishing a comprehensive policy paper - "Winning together: A RENEWed EU-Africa partnership in a multipolar world" - calling for a fundamental reset of the EU's engagement with Africa, built on equality, mutual benefit and long-term strategic commitment.
Despite being Africa's largest trading partner, biggest development aid donor, and most significant foreign investor, the EU is losing ground to China and Russia - both of which pursue assertive influence strategies across the continent: through debt-trap economics, mercenary deployments such as the Africa Corps, and the deliberate acquisition of African media platforms to spread disinformation and anti-Western propaganda.
Renew Europe calls for a stronger, more coherent European response - including strict oversight of Global Gateway to ensure its projects deliver genuine value for Africa and Europe, and are not captured by third-party interests.
Jan-Christoph Oetjen (FDP, Germany), RENEWPAC Co-President, said :
“A lasting partnership with the African continent can only be built on an equal footing. One way to help one another is through the exchange of skills. We must launch the EU Talent Pool to connect job seekers from African partner countries with EU employers and provide safe and legal pathways to Europe. The barriers for coming to Europe are still too high. We propose one-stop-shops at the local level that provide information on legal migration routes including labour mobility and asylum procedures.”
Jan-Christoph OetjenRenew Europe MEP, Germany, Freie Demokratische Partei
Hilde Vautmans (Anders, Belgium), Co-President for the Africa-EU parliamentary assembly emphasised :
“In a world of growing competition and uncertainty, a renewed EU–Africa partnership is our strongest strategic asset. Our futures are intertwined and should be guided by shared interests. By creating a Europe-Africa Industrialisation Pact, we aim to ensure that raw materials are not merely exported, but processed in Africa, creating jobs, industries, and shared prosperity for both Africans and Europeans.”
Hilde VautmansRenew Europe MEP, Belgium, Anders
Central to Renew Europe's vision is a proposed EU-Africa Industrialisation Pact - a framework for balanced, jointly owned investment in manufacturing, processing, innovation and digital infrastructure across the African continent. Rather than reinforcing extractive economic patterns, this Pact would empower local actors, strengthen African value chains, and create shared prosperity, while improving Europe's access to diversified and sustainable supply chains for its green and digital transitions.
Renew Europe also calls for the creation of a single European implementing agency for development assistance - EUaid - to replace the current patchwork of diverging national frameworks. At a time when the suspension of USAID has triggered an unprecedented global funding crisis, Europe must speak with one coherent, visible and credible voice on development.
On gender equality, Renew Europe demands a dedicated budget line for women's health in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034), with sexual and reproductive health and rights enshrined as an explicit objective of EU development programmes in Africa. As donor withdrawals deepen, women and girls bear the heaviest consequences - the EU must step up where others are stepping back.
Finally, Renew Europe calls for structured EU-Africa media partnerships to expose and counter foreign interference in the African information space. With Russia and China actively acquiring local media platforms and funding disinformation campaigns, building shared democratic resilience between European and African civil societies has become a strategic priority.
Background
The RENEWPAC Summit 2026 will take place in Rabat, Morocco, from 7 to 9 April, bringing together liberal and progressive political leaders from Europe and Africa around a shared agenda. Under the theme "Resilience and Renewal: Building Liberal Partnerships in a Multipolar World", the Summit will address four strategic pillars: governance and security, sustainable growth and trade, climate and energy, and digital and health connectivity. The Summit represents a key milestone for the liberal political family on both continents to forge a modern, equal and forward-looking partnership.
https://www.reneweuropegroup.eu/fr/events/2026-02-18/renewpac-summit-2026-resilience-and-renewal