The EU signs a development agreement with Senegal in the midst of the canoe crisis in the Canary Islands
The European Union and Senegal have signed an agreement this week for the development of the African country, and the signing coincides with a very significant increase in the arrival of boats to the coasts of the Canary Islands, with more than 700 migrants in the last few hours and some 17,000 so far this year, many of them from the African country.
And this Wednesday at the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels, the EU and Senegal signed new agreements that promote the digital economy, urban mobility, vocational training, food security and a clean environment in Senegal as part of the Economy Initiative Green – Team Europe, through which the EU, the European Investment Bank, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain support the green and digital transitions in Senegal.
Additionally, Senegal will benefit from an additional €25 million of EU funding for the Team Europe Initiative on manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines and health technologies in Africa.
“These new agreements demonstrate how the EU's Global Investment Package for Africa, which we launched last year in Dakar, covers both hard and soft infrastructure.”. From sustainable transport solutions to capacity building, our actions benefit the Senegalese people and respect the highest social and environmental standards,” summarized Jutta Urpilainen, the European Commissioner for International Partnerships.
The EU, summarizes the Commission, supports Senegal on its path towards economic growth, in line with the Plan Sénégal Emergent and the Programme d'Urgence Jeunesse of Senegal and with the EU's Global Gateway strategy. The association's actions “are based on Senegal's commitment to the green and digital transitions and its ambitions in the key sectors of pharmaceutical production, agricultural industrialization and urban development”. Senegal also plays a key role in the Praia-Dakar-Abidjan strategic transport corridor that is being developed as part of the Global Portal's EU-Africa investment package.
The Global Gateway, adds the Community Executive, represents the European Union's effort to reduce the disparity in investments on a global scale and promote smart, clean and safe connections in the digital, energy and transport sectors, as well as to strengthen the systems health, education and research. It offers sustainable investment opportunities to increase the prosperity and security of both our global partners and Europe.
The strategy “embodies a collaborative approach that brings together the European Union, EU Member States and European development finance institutions”. The conclusion drawn by Brussels is clear: “Together, we aim to mobilize up to €300 billion in public and private investments from 2021 to 2027, creating essential links instead of dependencies and closing the global investment gap”. And the ultimate goal is for the Union to expand its sphere of influence in competition with China and Russia.