Angola's partnership with the EU is based on the Samoa EU-OACPS Partnership Agreement which aims to reduce poverty by developing the Angolan economy and gradually integrating it into the global economy.

The Joint Way Forward [102 KB] : The EU and Angola decided in 2012 to reinforce their political dialogue and engage in a more active political cooperation transcending relations based on aid and development. The signature of the EU-Angola Joint Way Forward (JWF) took place on the 23rd July 2012 in Brussels. A key element of the JWF is the commitment to regional cooperation and integration.

So far, six ministerial meetings have taken place, the latest on the 10th of December 2023.

The EU is an important partner for Angola:

• The largest exporter to Angola.
• Angola's 2nd largest trading partner.

Under the Everything But Arms initiative, Angola receives free access to EU markets for all non-military products.

Angola was not involved in the Economic Partnership Agreement concluded in 2014 with 6 other SADC countries, as it has not signed the SADC Trade Protocol.

The EU-Angola bilateral cooperation strategy is intended to help the country develop – combatting poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals – by strengthening institutions and training staff.

The EU is currently Angola's largest aid donor, under the EDF.

Priorities:

• Basic (especially primary) education and teacher training.
• Work-related training.
• Higher education.

The EU has given €20m to PAEP - Project in Support of Primary Education, to help Angolan government efforts to achieve universal primary education.

Higher education

The EU will spend €11m from the EDF to:

• Support Angola's National Institute for Evaluation, Accreditation and Recognition of Higher Education Studies.
• Boost Angola's participation in regional programmes.

Vocational education & training

The EU will spend €22m from the EDF on the RETFOP - Reviving the TVET system in Angola, to help assist the Angolan Ministries of Education and Public Administration, Labour and Social Security reduce youth unemployment by:

• Making the available training and qualifications more demanding and relevant.
• Boosting employment guidance services and labour market information systems.
• Promoting self-employment.

Global & regional programmes

The EU also supports education in Angola through programmes like:

• Erasmus +.
• PALOP.
• Pan- African Programme.
• Intra-Africa academic mobility scheme.

In Angola, the EU is helping the government – in particular the Angolan Ministry of Social Assistance and Reintegration – to revise and implement its social assistance policy.

This support is given through the APROSOC – Support to social protection in Angola project, which addresses both existing sector constraints and strengthens long-term institutional capacity and sustainability.