AFRICA'S WORSENING energy situation would take centre stage at the revived (European Union (EU)-Africa Summit in December this year in Lisbon. As one of the policy initiatives to be discussed, the EU-Africa Partnership on Energy is expected to help solve the energy problems of Africa. On both continents, energy security, access to secure, sustainable and affordable energy services, and the sustainable and efficient management of energy resources are prerequisites for development and prosperity.



Even though Africa has abundant energy resources, it currently has the world's lowest rate of access to modern energy. Africa has been having serious energy shortages than Europe. Countries such as Zimbabwe, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo among others are in dire need of energy. It is estimated that 600 million Africans do not have access to electricity, and use wood for cooking and heating. 400,000 Africans, mainly women and children also die every year of respiratory diseases related to the indoor air pollution from using wood and other traditional fuels. According to Commission of the European Communities statement which was released last month in Brussels, the investment needs are huge - according to the World Bank, ensuring 100% access to electricity in Sub-Sahara Africa by 2030 would require an annual investment of - 8.27 billion.



"Already now Europe and Africa are closely interlinked in the energy sector: Europe benefits from African energy exports, and Africa benefits from European technical and financial support in the energy sector," the report said. It stressed that the increasing global concerns on energy security, energy access and climate change have clearly reinforced the links between the energy future of the two continents, and created the need for joint approaches. Against this background, the envisaged Africa-EU Energy Partnership will be an innovative platform for an enhanced political energy dialogue between Africa and the EU. "Via the Energy Partnership, Africa and Europe will share knowledge and experience, develop common policy responses and stimulate specific action that addresses the energy challenges of the 21st century," the statement stressed.

The Partnership will address security and diversification of energy supply, both for Africa and Europe, promote access to affordable, clean and efficient energy services, stimulate energy markets and aim to increase financial and human resources in support of Africa's sustainable energy development, while promoting enabling frameworks for investments as well as market transparency and stability. It would involve key players, such as the private sector and International Financing Institutions, and find ways to include emerging donors' in the dialogue on energy sector development in Africa.



The summit would work towards the achievement of concrete objectives to strengthen the existing Africa-EU dialogue on access to energy and energy security, to scale up investment in energy infrastructure, including promotion of renewable energy solutions and energy efficiency, to amplify the development-oriented use of oil and gas revenues, to promote transparency and enabling frameworks as well as to mainstream climate change into development cooperation. The Partnership would also build on existing instruments, such as the overall framework of the EU-Africa Infrastructure Partnership and its Trust Fund, the European Union Energy Initiative (EUEI) and its ACP Energy Facility (currently -220 million), the national and regional indicative programmes under the 10th EDF and the thematic programme on environment, management of natural resources including energy.



Other initiatives to be deliberated upon are the EU-Africa Partnership on Climate Change, EU-Africa Partnership on Migration, Mobility and Employment, EU-Africa Partnership on Democratic Governance and creation of a Joint EU-Africa political and institutional architecture. The postponement of the EU-Africa Summit in 2003 was seen as a major political disappointment and Commission on European Communities welcomed the EU-Africa partnership is now back at the highest political level - where it belongs, the Commission of the European Communities statement had said. The summit which was revived by the AU chairman, President John Agyekum Kufuor is an opportunity for the political leaders of the two continents to make strong action-oriented political commitments on current key international issues, notably climate change, migration, sustainable energy, governance and security, and to set the political course for the EU-Africa strategic partnership. African and EU Heads of State and Government, representing 80 countries and almost 1.5 billion people will then sign a Lisbon Declaration - an EU-African consensus on values, common interest and strategic objectives.