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Africa must not be targeted by EU carbon levy, warns Senegal’s president

(EurActiv, 21 Jan 2022) The EU needs to ensure that African states do not bear the brunt of its carbon border levy Senegal’s President has warned EU leaders, in the run up to next month’s EU–African Union summit in Brussels.

Speaking at an event on Thursday hosted by the Africa–Europe Foundation, Macky Sall, the president of Senegal, who is due to take over the presidency of the African Union (AU) in February, urged EU leaders “to come to a joint strategy, but one that also takes into account the level of development of African countries”.

EU and African Union leaders will meet in February for a summit aimed at agreeing on a ‘strategic partnership’ between the two blocs. European Council President Charles Michel, who has been tasked with most of the diplomatic preparation for the summit, described it as “an opportunity for a new paradigm, for a new approach, for a new alliance between Africa and Europe.”

Along with the measures on the increased availability and access to Covid vaccines, African leaders are seeking guarantees that the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism, which would apply a levy on imports to the EU based on their contribution to emissions, does not hit their exports of fossil fuels and minerals.

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EurActiv, 21 Jan 2022: Africa must not be targeted by EU carbon levy, warns Senegal’s president