On the 19-21 of June, EU-African summit was held in Johannesburg, in South Africa. INSME members CEA-PME, represented by its Secretary General Stefan Moritz and BVMW, in the person of its CEO, Christoph Ahlhaus, were among the main promoters of the summit. The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is the largest commercial agreement in the world in terms of countries involved. Its aim is to enhance intra-African trade, sustain an inclusive growth, sustain local economies, and secure an equal accesso to essential services.
This summit was directed at the participation of the EU to support African partners through the “Global Gateway” strategy, which aims to promote a digital, green and inclusive development. In this sense, the EU’s objective is to strengthen reliable agreement in order to face global challenges. For this reason, EU and African countries are going to implement concrete, transformational programmes together to bring real changes. In this scenario, SMEs are essential for sustainable development thanks to their Shared Value Business logic. SMEs sustain regional ecosystem, permitting an effective development of the area. Working tighter they are able to contrast markets monopolization, guaranteeing fair competitiveness. Moreover, SMEs contribute to the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), designed by the UN.
For this reason, BVMW and CEA-PME state that it is necessary to recognize SMEs as key partners for the sustainable development of Africa. It is necessary for institutions to support them and their growth, in fact the success of the AfCFTA and “Global Gateway” depends above all on African and European entrepreneurs.
Source: INSME Secretariat
