Bi-regional Cooperation between the African Union and the European Union: Legal-Institutional Settings, Challenges and Way Ahead

The recent, critical developments occurred after the Russian invasion of Ukraine have triggered serious repercussions on the whole international, economic and geo-political order. The effects seem especially impactful for the European and African regions, with a number of potential, major consequences in humanitarian-migratory terms, as well as in crucial sectors such as energy, trade, food and agriculture. In this scenario, the Euro-African cooperation plays a pivotal role. This contribution intends to focus on whether and to what extent the cooperation between the European and the African Unions may lead to a common, timely and effective response to current challenges such as agri-food security, climate change and migration. It is divided into three main parts: the first is devoted to a general overview of the Africa-EU relations, and their different shapes and methodologies; the second focuses specifically on the bi-regional cooperation between the African Union and the European Union, exploring its origin, subsequent evolution, as well as its legal- institutional settings; finally, the third part addresses the most recent initiatives put in place by the two international organizations with regard to issues such as food security, agriculture, climate change and environment.