EU-Sub-Saharan Africa relations: The history of (un)equal partnership

Abstract

This paper explores some exploitative economic tendencies in Africa-EU relations, tracking them from the Treaty of Rome, continuously through Yaounde, Lome and Cotonou initiatives. As time passes, the exploitative aspect of this relationship is getting vaguer through vocabulary changes and more subtle economic mechanisms. Each new cooperation framework tried to emphasize the importance of equality in the EU-Africa partnership but the inequality between the two parties constantly grew. This is the case with the newest, Global gateway framework. This investment plan is an adhoc initiative designed to counter Chinese interests in the region. The EU tends to be a norm creator in the African continent. The paper reexamines the capability of the EU to fulfill that role.