4th BOARD MEETING

The 4th Board Meeting took place in Brussels, on October 7th 2008. The day before, EBCAM Members welcomed a senior representative of CCA - Corporate Council on Africa, a large business organisation in the USA. The Board also decided to reinforce the working capacities at the Secretariat in Brussels.

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                                                                      CORPORATE COUNCIL ON AFRICA

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Washington on October 17th, 2008 between EBCAM and the CCA - Corporate Council on Africa. The Memorandum will reinforce the working relations between the two Organisations, exchange of information and joint iniciatives.

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                                                        EUROPEAN DEVELOPMENT DAYS - Strasbourg, France

 EBCAM together with Businesseurope, CIAN and Medef organised on November 17th, 2008 a conference "Les Entreprises du Developement" , at the occasion of the European Development Days in Strasbourg, France.Furthermore a working breakfast with the Frenc Minister of Development took place the same day.

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                                                                     EABF - EU/AFRICA BUSINESS FORUM

 The task force of the EABF - EU/Africa Business Forum met on November 18th at the European Commission,in Brussels, to prepare the next Forum to be held next year in Sharm El Sheik, Egypt.

           

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The European Commission prepared an important EC Staff Working Document on The Regional Strategy Papers and Indicative Programmes of the 10th European Development Fund
attached to EC Communication on Regional integration for development in ACP countries.(01/10/2008)

Click here for  EC Staff Document on Regional Strategy Papers and Indicative Programmes of the 10th European Development Fund

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PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE EU, AFRICA AND CHINA:
TOWARDS TRILATERAL DIALOGUE AND COOPERATION

To follow up on the public consultation the Communication "The Eu, Africa and China - towards trilateral dialogue and cooperation" has been adopted on 17th Oct 2008.

 

Click here for the   Communication of the European Commission

  Click here for the     Annexes to the Communication

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The European Union has publish recentely the EU Donors Atlas for 2008.

Click here (PDF) EU DONORS ATLAS 2008

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EC Communication
THE EU - A GLOBAL PARNER FOR DEVELOPMENTSPEEDING UP PROGRESS
TOWARDS THE MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Click here (PDF) EC Communication MDG

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                                      Investor's Guide to Sao Tome and Principe

The Investor's Guide to Sao Tome and Principe, being released on September 19, 2008, intends to make Sao Tome and Principe better known to global investors. The principal investment opportunities are identified in the areas of agriculture (cocoa, flowers, fruits and vegetables for export), adventure and eco-tourism, fisheries, regional trans-shipment, and petroleum services. The Guide also provides an account of the investment climate and the broader context of the country.

The Guide was prepared by The Earth Institute at Columbia University in collaboration with the Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment (a joint center of Columbia Law School and The Earth Institute at Columbia University ). The Guide has the high-level support of the Government of Sao Tome and Principe, the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), and the European Business Council for Africa and the Mediterranean (EBCAM) and was drafted with input from local and international stakeholders.

The Portuguese version of the Guide was released on September 19, 2008 in Lisbon, Portugal, in an event hosted by the Portuguese Business Development Agency (AICEP) whichl included the participation of his H.E. President Fradique de Menezes. The English version of the Guide was released in a special dinner for the President in New York on September 22, 2008. Launches of the guide will also take place in Washington D.C. on September 26th at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Affairs (CSIS) and on October 26th at an event hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA).

Click for the Guide Sao Tome e Principe

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The Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Columbia Program on International Investment (CPII) are pleased to announce the release of Invest in Ghana: Focus Kumasi. It is the first city investment guide in West Africa.

Kumasi is Ghana's second largest city and capital of the Ashanti region. It is an important commercial center. Its location, climate and safety, combined with Ghana's increasing access to foreign markets, make Kumasi attractive to investment in a number of areas. One sector of great potential discussed in the Guide is in the area of cocoa and its processing. Another concrete opportunity is the production of fruit juice made from different fruit growing in the region. Furthermore, opportunities were identified in the hotel sector and in retail. The production of pharmaceuticals also has great potential. Other areas with potential include agriculture and agro-processing as well as manufacturing. The Guide outlines these opportunities as well as relevant matters such as tax and regulatory conditions in Ghana.

The Guide was developed with the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC). The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) and the European Business Council for Africa and the Mediterranean (EBCAM) have lent their support to this effort.

The Guide was launched in Kumasi on April 18, 2008.
Click here( PDF) for the KUMASI (Ghana) Guide

The Internationam Trade Center has recently publish a Guide on Exporting Seafood to the EU. There is no way to escape some reading if you want to export to the European Union and a market of 470 million consummers in 27 countries.

Click here for the Guide EXPORTING SEA FOOD TO THE EU

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The World Bank - Carbon Finance Unit just issued the Carbon Market report 2008.
Further information on www.carbonfinace.org

Click for the report     STATE AND TRENDS OF THE CARBON MARKET 2008

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Click for the World Bank Report

                                  Economic Partnership Agreements with the EU - What to do now

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                                                        AFRICAN ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

The seventh edition of the African Economic Outlook was launched on 13 May in Paris and Berlin, and was introduced at the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank (AfDB). Produced by the African Development Bank, the Development Centre of the OECD and the Economic Commission for Africa of the United Nations,with financial support from the European Commission, the AEO presents a comprehensive analysis of economic, social and political developments on the continent. It is the essential reference on Africa for decision makers from the public and private sector.

The special focus of the 2008 AEO is developing technical and vocational skills. Why is the issue important to Africa? First, the need is great. More than 50 percent of African youth are illiterate and many lack any formal skills or training. Second, skills development is part of the solution to several of Africa’s most pressing challenges. Technical and vocational training enhances competitiveness, contributes to social and economic inclusion, increases employment and helps reduce poverty.

                          Click for the Statistical Annex     AFRICAN ECONOMIC OUTLOOK - 2008

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                                           COMESA /  RIA - Regional Investment Agency

    RIA is the Regional Investment Agency for COMESA - Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.Launched in June 2006, the Agency aims to make the COMESA region a viable, atractive destination for regional and internacional investors. In the long term RIA's shared vision with COMESA is to present the region as a fully integrated, internacional competive regional economic community.

                                                   Click for   COMESA Practical Investment Guide

                                                         Click for    Brochure on success stories

                                               

                                                       Click for    Business Environment Data Base

                                       Click for   Conference Brochure Brussels 18 & 19 November 2008

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JOINT DECLARATION OF THE PARIS SUMMIT FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN
Paris July 13th 2008

Click for Joint Declaration

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