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EU-African Economic Relations: Continuing Dominance, Traded for Aid?

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  • Kohnert, Dirk
Abstract
Promising growth rates, increased trade, and competition among major global players for African resources have boosted the development and bargaining power of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in relation to the EU. However, Africa's least developed countries remain vulnerable to external shocks. Academic analysis is still too heavily influenced by scholastic controversies. Neither the controversy over 'big-push' concepts nor the blaming of African culture as an impediment to growth or good government do justice to the real issues at stake. Even beyond the aftermath of (neo)colonialism, and notwithstanding continuing deficits in good government in many African countries, the EU bears responsibility for the fragile state of many African economies. The self-interested trade policies of the EU and other world powers contribute to poverty and unsatisfactory development in SSA. This threatens to perpetuate asymmetrical power relations in the new Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), to the detriment of regional integration and pro-poor growth. However, mounting competition between China and other global players for Africa's resources is resulting in windfall profits for Africa. The latter is leading to a revival of seesaw politics, already known from the times of the Cold War, on the part of African states. This could be profitable for Africa's power elite, but not necessarily for Africa's poor.

Suggested Citation

  • Kohnert, Dirk, 2008. "EU-African Economic Relations: Continuing Dominance, Traded for Aid?," GIGA Working Papers 82, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:gigawp:82
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

    1. Kohnert, Dirk, 2014. "Horse trading? EU-African Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)," MPRA Paper 57070, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 02 Jul 2014.
    2. Kohnert, Dirk, 2008. "Ausgrenzung und Entfremdung statt Integration: Afrikas Neuer Nationalismus in Zeiten der Globalisierung [Exclusion and alienation instead of inclusion: Africa's new Nationalism in times of globaliz," MPRA Paper 10529, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Mullings, Robert & Mahabir, Aruneema, 2018. "Growth by Destination: The Role of Trade in Africa’s Recent Growth Episode," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 243-261.
    4. Marc Audi & Amjad Ali, 2023. "Public Policy and Economic Misery Nexus: A Comparative Analysis of Developed and Developing World," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 13(3), pages 56-73, May.
    5. Robert Mullings & Aruneema Mahabir, 2016. "Growth by Destination: The Role of Trade in Africa’s Recent Growth Episode," NBS Discussion Papers in Economics 2016/01, Economics, Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    economic integration; trade policy; aid; international migration; regional integration; EU; Africa; China;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F22 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - International Migration
    • F24 - International Economics - - International Factor Movements and International Business - - - Remittances
    • F42 - International Economics - - Macroeconomic Aspects of International Trade and Finance - - - International Policy Coordination and Transmission
    • F59 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - Other
    • N47 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Africa; Oceania
    • P45 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - International Linkages
    • R11 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Regional Economic Activity: Growth, Development, Environmental Issues, and Changes

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