From 24-25 November 2025, leaders of the African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) gather in Luanda, Angola, for the 7th AU-EU Summit.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the AU-EU partnership – a milestone moment to reflect on how far it has come, what challenges remain and prepare for a new model of partnership. It will be crucial for both parties to utilise this unique opportunity – which only occurs every three or four years – to leave old wounds behind and elevate their game to create a truly relevant, transformative, and equal partnership.
As ECDPM, we will explore the summit and its outcomes from multiple angles: the evolution of inter-institutional relations, shifting geopolitical dynamics, the role of multilateralism and crucial thematic areas such as migration, climate and energy cooperation, food systems transformation and sustainable finance and more.
This dossier brings together key ECDPM analyses and takeaways related to the AU–EU partnership – providing context, insights and reflections to inform the discussions before, during, and after the summit.
About the author:
Kathleen Van Hove is a senior policy analyst in ECDPM’s institutional relations and partnerships department and is the Centre’s AU-EU relations coordinator.
Isabell Wutz is a communications officer in ECDPM’s outreach and impact department. She is responsible for media relations and centre-wide communications.
Geert Laporte was previously senior executive at ECDPM and the director of the European Think Tanks Group (ETTG), the secretariat of which is based at ECDPM.
Virginia Mucchi is the head of ECDPM’s outreach and impact department.