As part of its common strategy, the EU-Africa partnership views relations through an innovative approach by considering Europe and Africa a single continent determined to work together to tackle the global challenges with which they are faced.

An open political dialogue

Governed by the Partnership Agreement signed in Cotonou in June 2000, and reviewed every 5 years, relations between the EU and the ACP [African, Caribbean and Pacific] partners allow for regular political dialogue to take place between the EU and the countries’ authorities where they are represented.

Dialogue focuses on issues of common interest not only at the national level but also at regional, continental and international levels. Its objective is to contribute towards peace and security and it aims to promote a stable and democratic political environment.

The exchange of views within the framework of this dialogue makes it possible to evaluate the partners’ progress with regard to respect for human rights and basic freedoms, democratic principles and the rule of law, and the transparent management of public affairs.

The European Union (EU) and EU Member States (Team Europe) promote trade openness and regional and commercial integration as key elements for successful growth and development strategies within their cooperation activities in Senegal. This objective is pursued by supporting the strengthening of transport infrastructures of regional interest and the improvement of the competitiveness of the national economy.

At the economic level, since the implementation of the Emerging Senegal Plan in 2014 - aiming for economic emergence by 2035 - Senegal has experienced a phase of sustained growth, above 6% between 2014 and 2018, which has projected the country into the group of lower middle income economies. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has strongly affected the country with negative effects on economic and macroeconomic performance, largely dependent on the service sector and imports, and the slowdown in the tourism and transport sectors in particular.

With a GDP of USD 24.6 billion (current) in 2020 (USD 1,472 per capita), Senegal is the second largest economy in the WAEMU zone behind Côte d'Ivoire.

Thanks to solid production in the industrial and service sectors, and to measures to support the economy, Senegal experienced a rebound in economic activity in 2021, following a year 2020 very impacted by the crisis. Covid-19.

Team Europe (notably France, the Netherlands and Belgium) is Senegal's leading trading partner with 32% of its imports, but only 12% of Senegalese exports (2021).

Senegal currently benefits from a preferential trade regime with the EU, as well as specific trade facilitation and trade integration programmes. Following the non-implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreements, Senegal sees itself applying the "Everything But Arms" System - TSA, the most favorable of all the European Generalized System of Preferences (GSP+) regimes: exports of its products to the EU at zero duty, without limitation of volume. It should be noted that to date, Senegal is the second largest beneficiary of TSA on the African continent and benefits considerably from these preferences with approximately 98%.

Team Europe supports regional and continental integration

One of the major objectives of Team Europe's interventions in Senegal is to enable it to take advantage of the integration of the economies of the West African region, and gradually continental after the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), launched on March 21, 2018. The African Heads of State have indeed decided to pursue continental integration (gradual elimination of customs and monetary barriers and harmonization of legislation) to better exploit the advantages of the trade and integration, and strengthen the modernization of infrastructure (transport and digitalization), to reduce the weakness of the industrial fabric due to the non-processing of raw materials produced by African countries on site. Faced with all these challenges, the Zlecaf is supposed to provide a practical and concrete response, to accelerate the transformation of raw materials to promote the effective industrialization of the continent.

Team Europe contributes to achieving this objective with "Aid for Trade" programs, technical assistance programs aimed at institutional support, support for the strengthening of transport infrastructures of regional interest, and the improvement the competitiveness of the national economy. Several programs thus support Senegal in order to upgrade norms and standards:

- West Africa Competitiveness Program (WACOMP) (August 2020-April 2023, implemented by ITC): €9M component for Senegal to promote 3 value chains as engines of growth either in agribusiness or in Information and Communication Technologies. More specifically in mango, the project will help producers organize themselves into cooperatives to support their ability to produce, process and export mangoes.

- West Africa Trade Facilitation: multi-donor program (Total 75 MUSD, of which EU 20MEUR, but also contributions from the Netherlands and Germany) to improve aid for trade measures in West Africa. Senegal benefits because the Dakar-Bamako axis is one of the 6 key corridors of this program. The program supports the modernization of customs IT systems.

- Since 2016, the EU has set up a regional program - which works in the continuity of previous programs - managed by the Europe-Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Liaison Committee (COLEACP) "Fit for Market", aimed at strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of the ACP fruit and vegetable sector, as well as their competitiveness through the application of sustainability measures while maintaining support for compliance with sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures.

The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) between the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Senegal has been applied since November 2014. From November 2019, it is implemented within the framework of the 2019-2024 Protocol concluded between the EU and Senegal. The APPD is renewed by tacit renewal unless terminated. The protocols are renegotiated when they expire on the basis of an independent assessment and prospective study, taking into account the contributions of the Senegalese and European parties, and the best available scientific advice from ICCAT, CECAF/FAO and national institutes.

Under this 2019-2024 Protocol, it is expected that fishing licenses will be granted to vessels flying the EU flag in the Senegalese Exclusive Economic Zone. These vessels benefit from an annual reference tonnage of 10,000 tonnes for tuna and a quota of 1,750 tonnes of black hake.

The financial contribution is paid by the European Union, namely 800,000 euros/year for access to the EEZ and 900,000 euros/year to support the development of the Senegalese fisheries sector (surveillance, research, health conditions, artisanal fishing, training ). Shipowners whose vessels fly the flag of the EU (Spain, France and Portugal) pay each year for licenses, catches and observers on board the vessels.

The implementation of the SFPA and its Protocol is steered by the annual Joint Commission (EU-Senegal) which works on the basis of the recommendations of the Senegal-EU Joint Scientific Committee and sector support implementation reports of the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy.

The legal and scientific texts of the SFPA and the Protocol are available on the pages of the European Commission:

• https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/fisheries/international-agreements/sustainable-fisheries-partnership-agreements-sfpas_en
• https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/fisheries/international-agreements/sustainable-fisheries-partnership-agreements-sfpas/senegal_en
• https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/64f8d28e-60bb-11e9-b6eb-01aa75ed71a1

On the page of our Delegation and the European Commission, explanations can also be consulted by all citizens and representatives of the Senegalese media on the activities carried out within the framework of the APPD:

• https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/senegal/l%E2%80%99am%C3%A9lioration-des-conditions-de-travail-des-p%C3%AAcheurs-artisanaux-au-c%C5%93ur-de-l_fr?s=117
• https://oceans-and-fisheries.ec.europa.eu/publications/octopus-pots-senegal_en
• https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/senegal/un-accord-de-p%C3%AAche-transparent-et-r%C3%A9glement%C3%A9-entre-le-s%C3%A9n%C3%A9gal-et-l%E2%80%99union_fr?s=117
• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A_v7KLiPDIPdTkX3uHbOvFKLtPlYyvX9/view

The EU Delegation to Senegal is working with Senegalese professional organizations of artisanal and industrial fishing in order to improve mutual knowledge of fishing activities, and to reinforce the positive impact of the SFPA on the fishing sector in Senegal. The EU Delegation  is also an active member of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Group (GTPA) of Senegal's development partners gathered within the G15.

The partnership between the EU, EU Member States and Senegal is reflected in the joint cooperation strategy which aims to support Senegal's emergence, strengthen the country's stability and support its efforts to economic and social recovery following the COVID-19 crisis.

The Joint EU-Senegal Strategy 2018-2023 includes Senegal, the EU and the 13 EU Member States then represented in the country: Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Austria, the Czech Republic, and Romania. Taking into account the economic and social developments in Senegal within the framework of the new EU budget cycle 2021-2027, and the priorities of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI2 - Global Europe), the joint programming is linked to the Emerging Senegal Plan and thus covers for its first phase, the period 2021-2023.

The joint EU-Senegal strategy is based on 3 priorities:

1. Green and inclusive growth for job creation;

2. The development of human capital;

3. Good governance.

Total budget for the period 2014-2020

For the period 2014-2020, more than 655 billion FCFA (1 billion EUR) have been allocated to Senegal through the National Indicative Plan (227.5 billion FCFA, i.e. 347 million EUR), the Regional Indicative Plan (75 billion FCFA , or EUR 114.5 million), the EU Trust Fund (FCFA 130 billion, or EUR 198.4 million), and through other EU budget lines (FCFA 20 billion, or EUR 30 million) . Faced with the COVID-19 crisis, in April 2020, the European Union in Senegal quickly reallocated nearly 100 billion FCFA, including 85 billion FCFA in the form of budget support, as part of the Resilience Plan of the Force-Covid- 19 and 15 billion FCFA in redeployment of projects in order to better respond to emergencies related to the COVID-19 crisis.

Total budget for the period 2021-2024

EU Emergency Trust Funds for Africa

The Emergency Trust Fund for Africa was launched by the EU and African partners at the Valletta Summit on Migration in November 2015. To date, €4.9 billion has been approved for of 251 programs in 26 African countries which have enabled the achievement of numerous objectives.

More information

Sustainable value chains, food security and nutrition

The European Union supports the dynamics towards Senegal's agro-ecological transition and promotes sustainable production for healthy and resilient local consumption in the face of climate change, thanks to the objectives of the Green Pact for the EU. Through the initiative of TEAM EUROPE, Green Economy in Senegal, European action supports the country's structuring projects, such as the Agropoles of the future, platforms for convergence and agro-industrial transformation, developing the growth engines of rural regions, by consolidating skills in agriculture and agribusiness. Through vocational training or support for entrepreneurship, these structures support project leaders and offer support to small and medium-sized businesses in the food economy sector. In this context, the European commitment will strengthen in particular the logistics and processing platforms of the Agropole Center (covering the regions of Kaolack, Kaffrine, Fatick and Diourbel) in order to facilitate territorial interconnection, the effective conservation of dry products and perishable products, access to inputs, access to suitable financial services, in particular investment credit, as well as access to the national and local support system and to the Rural Council and the promotion of agronomic research and zootechnics. Thus, EU action sustainably increases the attractiveness of rural areas through a commitment at each stage of promising value chains, strengthening their competitiveness to create decent jobs, the primary beneficiaries of which are women and young people. Preventing irregular migration from these rural areas, this EU action strengthens the food and nutritional security of both rural and urban populations and their resilience to climate change.

Sustainable & resilient infrastructure

To achieve the objectives of the Global Gateway strategy, European action aims to strengthen the balance between territories, the sustainability of cities, as well as the improvement of the living environment and the urban environment. In this context, EU support focuses on support for urban mobility projects, the extension and rehabilitation of transport infrastructure and regional interconnections to promote the exchange of goods and people, as well as on improving the integration of renewable energies, particularly in rural areas, through the storage of electricity and the development of off-grid solutions. Urban pollution as well as the problems linked to the major traffic jams that characterize Dakar are at the center of the concerns of Team Europe, whose action aims to restructure public transport in the capital, through support for the structuring projects of the Regional Express Train (TER) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). In cooperation with the World Bank, the intervention of Team Europe, through funding and support from the European Investment Bank and France to private and public operators in the sector, will aim to guarantee a strong impact environmental and positive in the daily life of the citizens of Dakar.

Strengthening the private sector for job creation

The European Union supports reforms aimed at transforming and formalizing the Senegalese economy, placing particular emphasis on the establishment of an ecosystem conducive to the proper functioning of the private sector and entrepreneurship as sustainable vectors of creation. employment, especially for young people and women.

Water and sanitation

In line with the Global Gateway and the Green Pact, the European Union aims to improve the framework and living conditions of populations, in particular young people, in order to optimize their chances of being able to take full advantage of the opportunities created by the economy. Senegalese. This priority also responds to the need to promote a healthy environment, an essential determinant of human health and well-being. In this context, the EU has for several years been supporting the strengthening of access to drinking water and sanitation through green investments in Dakar, but also in secondary towns and in rural areas.

Quality of education, higher education and research, training and professional integration

The European response aims to strengthen the employability of young Senegalese in order to ensure their professional integration, as employees or entrepreneurs. The EU supports job creation by improving employability and professional integration by strengthening the vocational training offer, particularly for young people, in line with the demand of the labor market and the most promising sectors. , such as the digital sector, in order to improve the competitiveness of companies and facilitate access to decent employment.

Social protection and access to health services

In line with the National Social Protection Strategy (SNPS 2016-2035), the EU actively supports national social protection systems in order to strengthen the resilience, in particular of the most vulnerable populations, in the face of social risks and the various crises to which the Senegal faces. This commitment includes support for the operation of the National Family Security Grant Program (PNBSF), as well as support for the re-certification process (maintenance, entry, exit) of PNBSF beneficiaries. The Delegation of the European Union to Senegal is also strongly committed to supporting the Government in an ongoing process of overhauling the Single Social Security Code, in order, among other things, to enroll self-employed workers and other actors in the sector. informal. The EU is also continuing to support the strengthening of governance and social protection instruments, in particular through the adoption of a unified budgetary instrument for social protection and a multiannual financing strategy, but also through the updating data and extending the coverage of the Single National Register (RNU).

Pharmaceutical production

In the post-COVID-19 pandemic context, TEAM EUROPE supports Senegal's ambition to relaunch its pharmaceutical industry, for pharmaceutical and health sovereignty, in line with the ambitions of the Emerging Senegal Plan and the Partnership for the Manufacture of Vaccines in Africa (PAVM) of the African Union. In this context, the EU and the EIB are the main partners in the implementation of the MADIBA project (Manufacturing in Africa for Disease Immunization and Building Autonomy), piloted by the Institut Pasteur de Dakar (IPD), which with the support from the Government of Senegal, will specialize in the construction of a vaccine manufacturing plant in Diamniadio, with the aim of developing the first African vaccine production value chain.

Administrative and economic governance

In line with the strategic orientations of the Adjusted and Accelerated Priority Action Plan (PAP2A), European action in the area of ​​economic governance aims to strengthen the institutional framework, by modernizing the administration, implementing public services quality, and improving the business environment, which promotes private sector investment and sustainable job creation. In order to strengthen Senegal's financial sovereignty through increased mobilization of national resources, European action continues to support tax and customs reforms, with particular emphasis on the digitization, efficiency and good governance of the administrations of receipts. EU support more broadly targets the reform of public administration, both in its financial and non-financial dimensions, such as those linked to the institutions of the National Assembly, the Court of Auditors, the Territorial Collectivities, or the businesses and public institutions.

Democratic governance

The action of the European Union aims to strengthen the political stability of Senegal by improving and strengthening the efficient and transparent functioning of national and territorial institutions, by improving their accountability. Respect for human rights and the rule of law are at the heart of our partnership with Senegal. In its action, the EU pays particular attention to youth, women, civil society actors and local authorities.

Partnership with

Youth Youth is at the heart of European Union policies in Senegal. These policies give young people better opportunities in education and in the labor market, in order to guarantee their social inclusion. The EU contributes to ensuring the active participation of young people in dialogues and decision-making bodies, in particular in policies that directly affect them. This is done mainly through the promotion of a regular dialogue between youth representatives and public authorities. Our support also contributes to strengthening the means and expertise of the Government to meet the needs and expectations of young Senegalese men and women.

Partnership with Civil Society

The European Union aims to increase the contribution of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the process of participatory and inclusive local development. In this context, we promote the institutionalization of a structured dialogue between the EU, the Government, and Civil Society and Local Authorities, as well as the strengthening of their capacities for monitoring, drawing up and implementing public policies in Senegal, in particular within the framework of the implementation of the emergency plan for employment and the integration of young people.

The commitment with civil society is set out in a 2021-2024 roadmap and emphasizes the promotion of an inclusive dialogue on the policies and issues of civil society, particularly organizations led by young people for the benefit of youth.

Gender equality

For the European Union, gender equality is a fundamental value, a universally recognized human right, which is part of our DNA. Within the framework of the European Union's Gender Action Plan III (GAP III), our objective is to make gender equality a cross-cutting and systematic priority of all our external actions, as well as a subject central to the dialogue with our institutional and non-institutional partners.

Ensure stability

The European Union remains committed to supporting the Government of Senegal to ensure the maintenance of stability and peace in the country. European support aims to strengthen the operational and logistical capacities of internal security forces in order to better prevent and fight against organized crime, terrorism and illicit trafficking. In the Casamance region, the EU remains particularly committed to supporting mediation in favor of the process of resolving the Casamance conflict and to promoting the safe return of displaced populations through demining and awareness-raising actions.

Migration management

Senegal is both a country of departure and transit for migration, as well as a host country for refugees and asylum seekers. The management of migratory flows is a priority issue shared by Senegal, the EU and EU Member States. European action aims to strengthen cooperation on the return and readmission of migrants, as well as the sustainable reintegration of all returning migrants. Furthermore, the EU supports the efforts of the Senegalese services in the fight against irregular migration, in particular by strengthening the means and cooperation of the police, the gendarmerie and the internal security services, including in a regional framework. The EU is also developing, together with the Member States, opportunities for regular migration. Finally, the action of the European Union takes into account the root causes of irregular migration, essentially linked to the perception of a lack of economic and social prospects for the younger generations, as well as to an idealization of Europe as migrant destination. In this respect, the creation of decent and sustainable jobs, in particular for young people in the areas of departure, as well as awareness-raising and support for the sustainable reintegration of migrants returning to Senegal are among the priority actions of the European Union.

Support legal migration

To support regular migration, European action sets up and supports safe and regular migration programmes, at regional level and towards Europe, for example via mobility programs in the educational field, such as ERASMUS +, research, such as the Marie Sklodowska-Curie action programme, or professional, involving the knowledge and potential of the diaspora.

Promote Culture

Cultural diversity is one of the values ​​of the European Union. The promotion of diversity in international cultural relations is indeed an important element of European diplomacy. Its commitments and actions promote the EU, its culture and those of each of its Member States in their diversity. Through Cultural Cooperation, the European Union also supports the cultural and creative activity sectors of EU partner countries.