L. Fituni, I. Abramova Resource Potential of Africa and Russia's ...

a European–African energy forum; there was an official announcement
in 2008 of the launching of African – European energy partnership.
22 This partnership calls, among other things, for coordination
of strategies in the energy area and a considerable number of
cooperation projects where the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (dubbed
"the African Nabucco") holds pride of place.
As to non-energy raw materials, in 2008 the European Commission
launched the "Raw Materials Initiative" (RMI) which established
an integrated strategy to respond to the different challenges
related to them as well as to non-agricultural raw materials.
The RMI is based on three pillars describes in characteristic “eurospeak”
as follows: “ensuring a level playing field in access to
resources in third countries; fostering sustainable supply of raw
materials from European sources, and boosting resource efficiency
and promoting recycling. An element of the strategy is the need for
a “raw materials diplomacy" anchored in wider policies towards
third countries such as promoting human rights, good governance,
conflict-resolution, non-proliferation and regional stability.” 23 In
simpler terms, the concept envisages a policy of unhindered access
to resources outside the EU external orders, preferential treatment
of domestic EU suppliers as compared to external competitors, and
an elaborate use of political and ideological linkages and pressures
in order to secure desirable terms and conditions of commodities’
supplies to the EU.
In June 2010, in Addis Ababa the European Commission agreed
with the African Union Commission (AUC) to establish bilateral cooperation
on raw materials and development issues based on the
RMI and the AUC's policy on mining and minerals, as expressed in
the 2009 'African Mining Vision'. It is expected that this cooperation
will focus on three areas: governance, investment and geological
knowledge/skills. Under the Africa-EU Joint Strategy 2011-
2013, agreed at the Africa-EU Summit held in November 2010, actions
on raw materials are foreseen under the Trade, Regional Economic
Integration and Infrastructure Partnership. The EU and its
Member States agreed to work jointly on these issues.
The Commission proposed to:
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