The broad base of Turku’s economy means that it has not been as rocked by the recent economic recession as some European Union cities. It is renowned for its design companies, shipbuilding and burgeoning life science industries. Topping this, tourism is expanding, particularly in the unique archipelago. Westwards to Sweden and eastwards to Russia and China, new markets beckon on the horizon...
The populations of West Africa are among the most exposed in the world to desert dust. Yet interest in scientific research into this particular form of pollution is virtually nil. A team from Benin and Europe is now appealing for international institutions to pay more attention to the problem.
There is a high probability that the health of African populations is very seriously affected by...
Africa is on the move. Not only politically - as witnessed by recent events in Egypt, the Maghreb and Sudan - but also economically, which may just herald in the true liberalisation of the continent that was for so long blighted by internal strife and economic mismanagement. Or could it herald in a new era of colonisation ... this time by the Chinese?
Be that as it may, Africa is on the move and...
The serious lack of transport in Sub-Saharan Africa is a challenge that the EU and Africa are tackling together, through their Partnership on Infrastructure.
This partnership provides a strategic framework to improve the interconnection of transport networks across the continent. It is supported by the European Development Fund through its traditional instruments – such as the National and...
When countries from the three regions of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific, who had been engaged in unilateral ground work negotiations with the European Union for their future cooperation decided to form a united group at Georgetown in 1975 - rather than proceeding with their own separate agendas - they were proved to be blessed with great foresight.
There has been turmoil and...
“With such potential Tanzania could do so much better”: Interview with Ambassador Tim Clarke, head of the European Union delegation in Tanzania
“Twenty years ago I spent five years in Tanzania as rural development adviser, working for the European Commission”, Tim Clarke tells us. “We managed what was then the biggest European agricultural programme in Africa,...
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of its independence, which will be celebrated in Kinshasa on 30 June 2010 in the presence of King Albert II of Belgium, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is experiencing a unique moment in its history with the reconstruction of its infrastructure and the reordering of a state so often presented as bankrupt. The authorities, whose mandate comes from the...
After holding the role of Prime Minister of Italy twice, as well as President of the European Commission, what international position does a politician aspire to next? Having overseen two fundamental European projects – the single currency and the fifth enlargement of the EU (the sixth enlargement came under the Barroso presidency) – Romano Prodi has now decided to turn...
Ahead of the Shanghai Expo 2010, China (1 May to 31-October 2010), a showcase for all the globe’s nations, notably those of the African continent (see box), we ask Professor Ian Taylor, an expert on China-Africa relations at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland* whether Europe has any lessons to learn from China’s expanding ties with Africa.
What is the nature of a typical...
“We want to become a bridgehead for continental Africa”
Interview with José Brito, Cape Verde’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Communities. Cape Verde has decided to deploy substantial funds to attract investment. But where, exactly? Primarily in infrastructure – ports, airports, high-speed communications – to transform the country into a...