Berlin, 09/12/2025: In the latest issue of Africa.Table, Prof. Dr. Stefan Liebing takes a clear stance on the future direction of European-African relations. He outlines an urgency that goes far beyond traditional development policy.
Liebing argues that Africa will be the “most geopolitically dynamic region in the world” in the coming decades – indispensable for Europe’s ambitions in the areas of energy, climate protection, and economic diversification. However, against the backdrop of the recently concluded G20 summit in South Africa and the EU-AU summit in Angola, Liebing criticizes the lack of operational consistency in European diplomacy. There is no shortage of proposals, he says, but rather a lack of implementation.
Two key levers: free trade and the CO2 market
To overcome economic stagnation in Europe and promote growth in Africa at the same time, Liebing brings two concrete instruments into play that have been politically neglected until now:
- An EU-AU free trade area: While Africa is creating the world’s largest single market with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Europe remains a spectator. Liebing calls for the courage to link European markets with this new African dynamic in order to secure competitive advantages and not leave the field to other global players.
- A joint CO2 market: In view of the high decarbonization costs in Europe and the cost-effective opportunities for emissions avoidance in Africa, Liebing proposes a joint “certificate trading system.” This would efficiently direct investments to where they have the greatest climate impact and integrate Africa as a key player in global climate policy.
From rhetoric to practice
These initiatives are particularly relevant to the CBTA, as they strike at the heart of our work at the center: combining scientific analysis with entrepreneurial practice. Liebing warns that Europe has relied too long on “moral authority.” Instead, he argues, pragmatic instruments are needed, such as a “one-stop shop” for African investments, uniform guarantee instruments for risk hedging, and long-term energy alliances, especially for green hydrogen.
This article also serves as a preview of Liebing’s upcoming book, “Das afrikanische Jahrzehnt. Warum wir einen neuen Blick auf Afrika brauchen” (The African Decade: Why We Need a New Perspective on Africa), which will be published shortly by Springer-Verlag. It underscores the role of the CBTA as a think tank that initiates discourse to achieve cooperation between the continents on an equal footing.
More information (german): https://table.media/africa/tablestandpunkt/europa-braucht-afrika-jetzt