First Independent Mena Newspaper
The European Union remains the world’s biggest contributor of ‘Aid for Trade’, committing over €18 billion in 2021, with Africa being the largest recipient of EU Collective Aid for Trade, followed by Asia and Europe, according to the latest EU Aid for Trade Progress Report. This amount represents 47% of all Aid for Trade originating […]
The European Union has recently launched 17 new regional programs, most notably including ‘The Team Europe Initiative on Opportunity-Driven Skills and Vocational Education and Training’ and the ‘Africa-Europe Youth Academy’, aiming to boost youth mobility and skills in Africa. The 17 new regional programs under the flagship of Youth Mobility for Africa were launched by […]
The European Union’s recently agreed-upon Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA) does not target China but is aimed “simply [at] diversifying sources of supply,” a senior EU official has said, just as a recent study highlighted the bloc’s continuing efforts to close deals with resource-rich African nations to reduce its dependence on China for critical raw […]
In this era of geopolitical competition and realignment, India recognizes Africa as a key component in its pursuit of superpower status and the continent is thus becoming a crucial player in New Delhi’s ambitious quest for global economic dominance. India’s multifaceted relationship with African countries is set for a fundamental transformation, as the continent is […]
The new European Union anti-deforestation law, which aims at protecting dwindling forests by outlawing products sourced from deforested areas, is closely watched in parts of Africa, with some local traders arguing that the new rules effectively dissuade European companies from purchasing their coffee. Some industry sources have cautioned that the new rules requiring companies to […]
The recent conclusions of the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union detail the progress made in the appeals filed by the EU Council and the European Commission against the decision of the Court of First Instance regarding agricultural and fisheries agreements with Morocco. It is important to note that these […]
The European Union signed a “historic” deal with Egypt on Sunday (17 March) that includes a funding package of 7.4 billion euros and elevating their relationship to the level of a “strategic and comprehensive partnership”, in bid to stem migrant flows to Europe. The 7.4 billion-euro aid package for cash-strapped Egypt was announced by European […]
Egypt is reportedly set to receive up to 7.4 billion euros in funding from the European Union under a major ‘cash for migrant control’ pact which could be formally announced during the upcoming visit of the European Commission chief to Cairo this Sunday (17 March). The EU support package is intended to relieve pressure on […]
European and other Western companies face losing out on sub-Saharan African lithium supply to Chinese companies whose grip on the critical mineral got even tighter last year when African exports of lithium, which mostly go to China, rose sharply between August and November. Already dominant in the cobalt and copper sectors in Africa, China is […]
Niger failed to make a debt payment of 13.4 billion CFA francs ($22 million) last week, the West African debt management agency said on Monday (19 February), bringing the total default to $519 million since a coup in July 2023 and its subsequent suspension from regional financial markets. The West African Economic Monetary Union (WAEMU) […]