The first ever EU-Angola Business Forum will be held in Brussels and online on the 24^th March 2022. It will kick-off a series of public-private dialogues around Angola´s economic reform agenda to support private sector investment in the country.

Organized by the EU in partnership with Angolan authorities and the private sector, areas with the highest investment & business potential for Europeans will be the focus of the forum: agriculture/fisheries, energy, digitalisation, industry/manufacturing, infrastructure, trade, and access to financing. Each topic will gather public officials from the EU and Angola, investors, business support organisations and financial institutions that can discuss investment opportunities and challenges in concrete terms.

This high-level event is supported by the EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen. According to Ms Urpilainen: “The EU’s Strategy with Africa is about building a more sustainable future for all. We need to identify how best to support the green transition in Africa. Boosting investment by African and European businesses and private investors is key. This Forum, including the Green Talk, has been a fantastic way for them to contribute to the dialogue and meet each other”. “We will connect institutions and investment, banks and the business community” said Ursula Von der Leyen, the European Commission’s President.

A wide range of EU officials will participate, from the political (EEAS) to the more technical sides such as the International Partnerships, Trade, Maritime Affairs, and other Directorate Generals.  It is organised in a Team Europe spirit and in collaboration with the EU Member States representations and business organisations. From the Angolan side, officials from both the key government agencies and the Business Support Organisations such as AIPEX are on-board. A special role will be given to financing institutions that can help investors in Angola and Europe. Finally, and above all, business firms already established in Angola and potential investors are at the core of all activities in this Business Forum.

The agenda includes thematic panels in agriculture, energy, and digitalisation as well as crosscutting issues such as trade & investment negotiations and access to finance. Specific attention will be given to financial institutions in order for them to explain their guarantees and financial packages to investors. Furthermore, it will give the opportunity to business, investors, associations, and government & EU officials to meet physically and via virtual platforms on B2B and B2G matchmaking sessions throughout the day.

From now and until the 15^th March, you can also shape the agenda by filling in the online form at https://euangolabusinessforum.eu/ Your identity will be anonymous as per the data protection law, but your replies will be shared with the event’s organiser to adjust the programme based on the feedback.

More information

Delegation of the European Union to Angola: https://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/angola_en

EU International Partnerships work on investment: https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/topics/investment_en

EU External investment plan: https://ec.europa.eu/eu-external-investment-plan/home_en

Angola-EU Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement (SIFA) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_21_3096

Southern African Development Community Economic Partnership Agreement (SADC – EU EPA) https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/regions/sadc/

African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/trade/publication/the-african-continental-free-trade-area

EU-Africa Strategy https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/system/files/communication-eu-africa-strategy-join-2020-4-final_en.pdf

EU Green Deal https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal/delivering-european-green-deal_en

EU Digital Agenda https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en

Angola’s National Development Plan 2018-2022 https://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC179971