In Marseille, two events to strengthen the impact of European technical cooperation
Once again in 2023, nearly 50% of Expertise France’s financing was provided by the European Union, confirming it as a resolutely European agency. Expertise France is working with its French and European partners to assist and support French and European strategic priorities. Its strong European base enables it to deploy its expertise and experience across all continents, and pursue its mobilisation of actors through an integrated and inclusive approach.
Within the Practitioners' Network (PN), for which Expertise France has held the Presidency since May 2023, it helps structure the network of European cooperation agencies, and contributes to scaling up the impact of European technical cooperation. On 14 and 15 May in Marseille, the General Assembly of the PN was a crucial moment for taking stock of the network’s achievements over the past year, preparing the year ahead, and approving the next milestones for both the internal and external challenges.
On the heels of this General Assembly, Expertise France organised an event on 15 May. Its purpose was to coordinate the European and international ecosystem around the creation of sustainable strategic maritime corridors, as part of the implementation of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy.
Practitioners’ Network General Assembly: Stepping up Team Europe’s action with technical cooperation
Expertise France has chaired the Practitioners’ Network since May 2023. Its priority is to build the PN into a network that:
- Increases the effectiveness and efficiency of Europe’s contribution to the development of the SDGs
- Promotes the expertise of all European countries
- Facilitates Team Europe’s cooperation action in its partner countries
Its year of Presidency has been marked by a series of strategic external and internal initiatives, in a constantly changing geopolitical environment. Externally, the PN and its members have stepped up their efforts to make European development cooperation stronger, more effective and more visible, by adopting a Team Europe approach. The PN has actively contributed to European technical and high-level debates. The network has also strengthened its commitment towards the European neighbourhood. This included its second country visit to Tirana, in Albania in March 2024. Internally, Expertise France’s Presidency has pledged to strengthen the participation and inclusiveness of all PN members, and ensure the future viability of the network.
During the General Assembly, the renewal of Expertise France’s Presidency of the network was announced and will be shared with the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) for a one-year term. The General Assembly also approved the transformation of the PN, which had previously been informal, into an international Association. This will be realised in the coming months, with the aim of strengthening the network’s role in the European arena.
In May 2025, the cooperation agencies from Belgium (Enabel) and Sweden (SIDA) will in turn take over the co-Presidency.
Read the joint interview between the CEOs of Expertise France and ADA
Maritime corridors: Contributing to the implementation of the Global Gateway
The Global Gateway strategy, launched by the European Union in 2021, provides an ambitious response to the challenges facing maritime transport, which is considered as the cornerstone of international trade. With more than 80% of the volumes traded around the world transported by ship, including 37% passing through EU sea ports, this strategy aims to promote the economic integration and development of partner countries through investments in strategic, sustainable and secure transport corridors. However, while the implementation of these corridors is in line with the sustainable development commitments of the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, it requires a complex approach and strong partnerships.
On 15 May, Expertise France organised an event dedicated to these issues. This event, organised with the Port of Marseille and South Region, aimed to foster joined-up thinking on the priorities and solutions for the creation of strategic, sustainable and secure transport corridors, with a focus on the central role of ports in these corridors.
The event was an opportunity to highlight the priorities of policy-makers, development donors and private sector players, and present solutions and prospects in this field. New types of partnership were also central to the discussions, especially in terms of project financing, implementation and governance.
For several years now, Expertise France has been implementing European projects which aim to strengthen maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea (GOGIN, EnMar, SEACOP) and the Indo-Pacific (ESIWA, CRIMARIO). Following the explosion in the Port of Beirut in 2020, the agency was mobilised by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to support the reconstruction of the port and bring it in line with international standards.
At the same time, Expertise France is working on a long-time basis with African partners on the aspect of logistical and economic corridors. This involves implementing structural projects for regional economic integration in Africa:
• Firstly, with the African Union where Expertise France, with AFD financing, is providing technical assistance for the definition and implementation of structural strategies: biodiversity, blue economy, e-commerce, small and medium-sized enterprises.
• With the ZLECAf Secretariat where, in consortium with German and Spanish cooperation, Expertise France is assisting the Secretariat, regional economic communities (including SADC and COMESA), and Member States with the implementation of the Free Trade Agreement. It is providing specific support to the private sector, and a “gender” approach is being developed to build and promote women’s entrepreneurship.
• With countries crossed by the strategic corridors, where Expertise France, in line with the European Global Gateway strategy, aims to contribute to its implementation by providing its expertise and know-how. The agency is actively involved in the Team Europe approach and is working on two strategic corridors in West Africa (Abidjan-Ouagadougou and Abidjan-Lagos), in partnership with the Belgian cooperation agency (Enabel) and TradeMark Africa, an international organisation supported by Agence Française de Développement and fully committed to trade facilitation.