Press Release
The African Union Commission and the European Union have officially launched the Africa – EU Space Partnership Programme during the Newspace Conference in Cairo, Egypt. On the sidelines of the 2025 NewSpace Africa Conference the event was held on 21st April 2025. The Space Partnership Programme is a four-year programme running up to 2028 aiming to enhance the strategic EU-Africa partnership in space through a dedicated flagship within the Global Gateway Africa – Europe Investment Package, which identifies space technology as part of its priority on digitalisation, with specific high potential in Africa.
The launching of the Space Partnership Programme was presided by H.E Moses Vilakati, the African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment (ARBE), H.E Javier Nino Perez, the Head of European Union Delegation to the African Union and H.E Tidiane Ouatara President of the African Space Council.
During the Launching, H.E Commissioner Mr Moses Vilakati appreciated the AU – EU partnership which addresses the African Union Strategic objectives as outlined in the Integrated African Strategy on Meteorology (Weather, Water and Climate Services), the African Union Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy, the African Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction, as well as the CAADP Strategy and Action Plan, the Africa’s Institutional and Operational Framework to Implement Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems for Early Action, among others.
On his part, H.E Nino Perez the Head of EU Delegation to the African Union re-iterated the longstanding cooperation between the AU and EU on finding solutions to address the global human challenges, reaffirming his strong belief in African integration and the efforts of all the 55 African Union Member States. H.E Tidiane Ouattara, President of the African Space Council expressed his satisfaction and appreciation that the Space Partnership Programme will support the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Africa Space Agency and the European Space Agency.
The Launch also featured Panel discussion session on the objectives, outputs, expected impact and the roles of different implementing partners of the programme. The panel discussion included representatives from the African Union Commission (AUC), Africa Space Agency (AfSA), Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). The Panel discussion was moderated by the European Commission Directorate of International Partnership (DG-INTPA).
About the Space Partnership Programme
The Space Partnership Programme is an AU-EU Partnership Programme with the objectives of (a) enhancing the African institutional and innovation space cooperation framework, including gender sensitive outreach on the benefits of space; (b) enhancing the capacity to produce and deliver space-based services and applications, data and information, for early warning systems related to hazardous weather or climate events; and (c) strengthening African space private sector ecosystem and industrial cooperation.
The Space Partnership Programme is structured into three tasks namely, Task 1: Africa-Europe Institutional and Strategic Partnership; Task 2: Africa – Europe Space Partnership for Early Warning Systems in Africa (SEWA) and Task 3: African Space Private Sector cooperation.
While the Africa Space Agency is responsible for Tasks 1 and 3, the African Union Commission, through the Directorate of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy, is responsible for the implementation of Task 2 regarding Space for Early Warning in Africa (SEWA).
Source: The African Union Commission l Press Release l May 12, 2025
