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Africa-EU
Energy Partnership

Milestones and previous activities

2007: AU-EU Lisbon Summit

European and African Leaders establish the framework of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES) and constitute the Africa-EU Energy Partnership.  

2010: First AEEP High Level Meeting (Vienna, Austria)

Endorsement of the AEEP 2020 Targets and launch of the Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP). Learn more

2012: 1st AEEP Stakeholder Forum (Cape Town, South Africa)

More than 300 stakeholders commend the way forward for the AEEP and initiate the monitoring of the AEEP 2020 targets. Learn more

2013: AEEP National Energy Business Dialogue Forums

Several national forums in Uganda, Djibouti, Zambia, Ghana, Cameroon and Vienna help promote the energy agenda.

2014: Second AEEP High Level Meeting (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) & Launch of the AEEP Status Report

More than 400 leaders from governments, private sector, international organisations etc. shape the future of Africa-EU energy cooperatioon based on results from the AEEP Status Report. Learn more

2015: New Steering Group Members, Ministerial Meeting (Rome, Italy)

Egypt and COMESA join the Steering Group of the AEEP and the first North African AEEP Energy Security Dialogue takes place in Egypt. At the Ministerial Meeting in Rome, the AEEP organises the Italian-African private sector session Off-grid Renewable Energy Dialogue Forum jointly with the Italian government.

2016: Mapping of Energy Initiatives and Programmes in Africa

A mapping of energy initiatives in Africa was undertaken by the Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) with the input of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Africa Hub in 2015/2016. The mapping report describes more than 50 international and multilateral renewable energy, energy efficiency and access to energy initiatives and programmes in Africa. Learn more

2016: Second AEEP Stakeholder Forum (Milan, Italy)

With more than 300 participants, the Forum further strengthens the involvement of key stakeholders in the energy dialogue and sees the launch of the RES4Africa. Other Forum highlights are: publication of the second AEEP Status Report, Mapping of Energy Initiatives and Programmes in Africa and the first dissemination of the Energy Access working group’s AEEP Energy Access: Best Practices 2016. Learn more

2017: Ten Years AEEP

The partnership celebrates ten years of succesful Africa-EU energy cooperation. It is endorsed at the G7 Energy Ministerial Meeting, to which the AEEP contributes with a side-event. Several events takes place, for instance one of the AEEP‘s to date most successful national energy dialogues in Zambia, which feeds into the SEforALL country processes.

2018: Launch of High-level Platform for Sustainable Energy Investments in Africa (SEI Platform)

The High-level Platform for Sustainable Energy Investments in Africa (SEI Platform), launched at the 2018 Africa Investment Forum. The SEI Platform developed a report of recommendations to boost public and private strategic investments in sustainable energy, with a focus on skills and jobs, and aiming at brining both continents closer together.  

2019: Monitoring Progress of the AEEP 2020 Targets

Through continuous development of methodologies and institutional structures for data collection, analysis, presentation and dissemination, the AEEP Secretariat supports the monitoring process towards achievement of the 2020 Targets. Learn more

2020: Recommendations of the Africa-Europe High-level Platform for Sustainable Energy Investments

The SEI Platform developed a report of recommendations to boost public and private strategic investments in sustainable energy, with a focus on skills and jobs, and aiming at bringing both continents closer together. Learn more

2020: Green Hydrogen Policy Brief – Fuelling Human Well-being in Africa and Europe

Africa and Europe have the opportunity to steer green hydrogen development into alignment with the sustainability frameworks that already guide the partnership between the two continents. This AEEP policy brief concludes that optimal outcomes would be reached if the green hydrogen development trajectory between the continents is anchored in Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030. Learn more

2021: AEEP Forum – Aligning Energies for a Green and Prosperous Africa

The Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP) convened more than 500 stakeholders for a half-day virtual event to discuss and reflect on Africa and Europe’s unique partnership on energy. Learn more

2021: European Financial Flows on SDG7 to Africa Policy Brief

The Africa-EU Energy Partnership’s European Financial Flows on SDG7 to Africa report quantifies global commitments made towards the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 7 in Africa for the period 2014-2019. Learn more

2022: Advancing the Green Gateway Between Africa and Europe

The second AEEP Forum, titled “Advancing the Green Gateway Between Africa and Europe – Seizing COP27 for energy access and climate stability,” took place on September 7, 2022. With over 650 registered participants, the online event focused on realising future energy systems in Africa and Europe that promote human prosperity in a climate-friendly manner. Learn More

2022: European Financial Flows on SDG7 to Africa Policy Brief

The second annual report on European financial flows on SDG7 to Africa by the Africa-EU Energy Partnership found that achieving universal access to modern energy in Africa required a significant increase of resources. The report highlighted the need for a 350% annual increase in investments to reach SDG7 by 2030. Learn More

High-level engagement of the AEEP since its establishment

From the 2007 AU-EU Lisbon Summit to its ten-year anniversary in 2017, the Africa-EU Energy Partnership has grown into one of the most active partnerships under the Joint Africa-EU Strategy. Since its establishment, the AEEP has ensured commitment at the highest political level: its High-Level Meetings in Vienna in 2010 and in Addis Ababa in 2014 – each bringing together more than 300 participants – are milestones of the African-European political dialogue on energy.

Energy – key topic in international policy discourse

As an agenda-setter, the AEEP has helped highlight the role of sustainable energy in Africa, actively engaging in key fora such as the UNFCCC COPs, G7, and G20 summits. The last decade has seen energy climb to the top of the political agenda, with initiatives such as the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) growing out of the UNFCCC climate processes, SEforALL, and the adoption of SDG7. Since 2007, the AEEP has given a boost to such joint initiatives and to a common agenda. The AEEP Communiqué, endorsed at the G7 Energy Ministerial Meeting in Rome, Italy, in 2017, can certainly be counted as one of the most notable accomplishments.

Platform for High-level African and European collaboration on energy

Besides helping international debates and joint initiatives flourish, the Partnership has also acknowledged the importance of coordinating and aligning efforts. Since 2007 the Africa-EU Energy Partnership has convened numerous high-level events with African and European stakeholders, brought together key stakeholders to engage in the issues surrounding energy in Africa, supported the participation of key stakeholders in important dialogues, enabled exchange and learning, and established new goals and knowledge products to help inform African-European energy cooperation.

The AEEP is supported by its Steering Group: