The EGS - OAGS Workshop took place on Thursday 27th March at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Rue Vautier 29, Brussels, under the theme "Europe-Africa geoscientific cooperation". Particularly, EGS-OAGS Workshop covered the following topics:

• The perspectives of cooperation with World Bank, UNECA/AMDC, GSAf and UNESCO.
• Next steps (EC, OAGS, EGS statements).
• Forthcoming events (CAG25, OAGS GM)
• EU-AU Business Forum preparation

EGS – AOGS Workshop presentations:

Luca Demicheli - Secretary General, EuroGeoSurveys (EGS) - Welcome address

Françoise Moreau - Head, Africa-EU Partnership and African Peace Facility Unit, European Commission's DG Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid - Opening remarks

Mattia Pellegrini - Head, Metals, Minerals, Raw Materials Unit, European Commission's DG Enterprise and Industry - Opening remarks

Gabi Schneider - President, Organisation of African Geological Surveys (OAGS); Director, Geological Survey of Namibia - OAGS: An introduction

Felix Sadrack Toteu - UNESCO Nairobi Office - UNESCO’s priority Africa : Capacity building for Earth Sciences

Marko Komac - Director, OneGeology (1G) - OneGeology: The second phase

The 5th EU-Africa Business Forum took place on the eve of the EU-Africa Summit, with the intention to give inputs and prepare the Summit 2 days-discussions (31 March-1 April). The Forum brought together more than 500 high-level representatives from European and African business, politics and public institutions. It developed through 12 Roundtables on various topics. EuroGeoSurveys was invited at the Roundtable on Raw Materials, which was chaired in cooperation with the Organization of African Geological Surveys (OAGS), represented by the OAGS President Mrs Gabi Schneider. The participants, that included Euromines, Business Europe and other industrial players and institutions, discussed how to enhance a sustainable exploitation of the minerals wealth of the continent leading to a sustainable economic growth, along four axes: governance, infrastructure, knowledge base and waste management.

The Workshop “Addressing Environmental and Health Impacts of Active and Abandoned Mines in Sub – Saharan Africa” was organized in Prague 26 – 27 May 2104 by Czech Geological Survey.
Numerous representatives of the African education centers took part in the Workshop, coming from South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria, Namibia, DR Congo, Kenia, Cameroun and Tanzania.
Mr Marek Graniczny, Coordinator or PanAfGeo Feasibility Study, presented a paper titled “Geoscientific knowledge and skills in the African Geological Surveys” – Graniczny M., Ploch I. The paper was published in Proceedings of the Closing Workshop of the IGCP/SIDA Projects 594 and 606, Prague, Czech Republic, May 26 – 28, 2014.
Mr Graniczny discussed with Mr Felix Toteu from UNESCO Nairobi Office and other representatives of several geological educational centres on a possible cooperation within the frame of PanAfGeo Project 2015– 2020 for training the geologists of the African Geological Surveys.

The Organisation of African Geological Surveys (OAGS) and EuroGeoSurveys took the opportunity of this Congress to organise a special Information Session on the project “Geoscientific knowledge and skills in African Geological Surveys”. The session provided insight and information on a feasibility study undertaken to assess the current state of Geological Surveys in Africa and to develop a strategy for sustainable strengthening of African countries´ geological administrations.
During Information Session the following presentation were given:

Luca Demicheli, EuroGeoSurveys Secretary General - The role of EuroGeoSurveys in Europe-Africa geoscientific cooperation

Gabi Schneider, OAGS President -The role of the Geological Surveys of Africa in strengthening the continent's position in the global arena

Marek Graniczny and Izabela Ploch - “Geoscientific knowledge and skills in the African Geological Surveys” – from concept to present study and future project

Gabi Schneider - Geoscientific Mapping in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Fhatuwani Ramagwede and Riitta Teerilahti - Mineral Resources Assessment in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Duška Rokavec - Primary and secondary resources: recommendations and perspectives

John Tychsen - Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Joanna Lindahl - Mining and Environment Issues in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Adriano Silvestre Senvano and Marek Graniczny - Geohazards mapping and monitoring in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Fhatuwani Ramagwede and Enrique Diaz Martinez - Geoheritage status in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Amadou Hassane and Marc Urvois - Geoscience Information Infrastructure and Management in Africa: recommendations and perspectives

Gabi Schneider and Marek Graniczny - The way forward

After presentation an open discussion took place on the involvement and role of non Geological Surveys stakeholders (Chairs: Mrs Gabi Schneider and Mr Luca Demicheli). Over 70 participants took part in this meeting.