Sustainable Development in Africa-EU relations - 9780367588670

Taylor & Francis

The European Union has been one of the most vocal advocates of \u2018sustainable development\u2019, particularly in its dealings with developing countries. Even prior to the formulation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the EU has insisted upon the need for sustainable approaches to poverty reduction and economic growth in the Global South. When examining EU relations with African countries as part of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group, however, it becomes clear that the translation of Europe\u2019s sustainability discourse into practice is highly problematic. Notably, there are concerns that the EU\u2019s free market approach to development \u2013 embodied in its EPA trade deals \u2013 is incompatible with genuine, pro-poor forms of sustainable growth. Moreover, the EU is often seen as a hegemonic actor whose trade and aid interventions in Africa often do more to perpetuate poverty than to ameliorate it. This book casts a critical light on Africa-EU relatio.