Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa, with a total area of 390,757 km² and a population of around 12.3 million. Of that total, around one-fifth lives in and around the capital, Harare.
Zimbabwe’s main exports are tobacco, cotton, gold and other minerals. It was traditionally an agricultural powerhouse, but radical land reforms in 2000 removed many white farmers and effectively destroyed the sector’s productivity. Government mismanagement, corruption and political turmoil have seen the economy fall since 2000, with rising hyperinflation and mass unemployment.
While Zimbabwe is a middle-income country, its wealth is distributed very unequally. Education standards are good for the region but it faces health challenges, in particular HIV/AIDS affects one-fifth of the population. Erosion of professional skills is a major threat to the future resilience of the economy and its traditionally good infrastructure is in decay and will require rehabilitation in the near future.
The EU has been supporting Zimbabwe’s development, although political turmoil has stalled official relations. On 18 February 2002, the EU decided to take restrictive measures, adopted by the Council under the Common Foreign Security Policy (CFSP), consisting on a visa ban and freeze of assets against 130 Zimbabwean ruling elite. The Council also adopted appropriate measures, under Art. 96 of the Cotonou Agreement, implying the suspension of development assistance except for those programs and projects in direct support of the population-health, education, micro-projects and decentralised co-operation, democratisation, respect for human rights and the rule of law. Both measures have been extended six times and are in effect until 20 February 2009.Any lifting or easing of the EU measures against Zimbabwe would be difficult to justify unless the government of Zimbabwe takes actions to remedy the situation and achieve positive progress on the EU matters of concern (essential elements foreseen in the Cotonou Agreement).Despite the difficult relationship with the Government of Zimbabwe, the EU remains the most important donor in the country and it has continued implementing a variety of operations funded through former EDFs and budget lines and within the mandate of the Council Decision of 18.02.2002.
The position of the EU with regard to Zimbabwe remains blocked waiting for tangible signals on the part of the Zimbabwean Government. The Commission maintains a proactive approach based on its willingness to go beyond this situation of impasse by exploring all avenues of restoring the bases of a sustainable confidence relation.
