The Development Commissioner Piebalgs will attend the Addis Ababa summit on 29 and 30 January as an observer, further strengthening ties between the EU and the African Union (AU).

The summit will see the election of the AU College of Commissioners for the next four years. The current chairperson – Jean Ping –who will seek re-election.

The summit will also decide which country will hold the AU Chair for 2012. With Central African Equatorial Guinea currently holding the Chair, the successor will come from West Africa.

Elections aside, boosting intra-African trade will be the central theme of this year’s summit. The meeting is expected to endorse an action plan for boosting intra-African trade, as well as the establishment of a Continental Free Trade Area by 2017.

It is also expected to establish a ‘high-level African trade committee’, with Heads of State chairing regional economic communities that will review progress made in the implementation of regional commitments.

The African Union was established in 2002 and has 54 member countries. Relations between the AU and the EU were strengthened in 2005 with the adoption of an EU-Africa Strategy and the first ever College-to-College meeting for commissioners from both blocs, which now takes place annually.

• The African Union
• The EU’s Delegation to the African Union