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MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF TUESDAY, 19 APRIL 2005

(2005/C 272/02)

(The sitting opened at 9.15 a.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Mrs KINNOCK

Co-President

1.   Substitutes

The Co-President announced the following substitutes: Mauro (for Daul), Schröder (for Langendries), van den Berg (for Bullmann), Pistelli (for Busk), Morgantini (for Wurtz) and R. Czarnecki (for Kozlík).

2.   Urgent topic No. 2: Situation in the African Great Lakes Region

The Co-President proposed a change in the order of the proceedings, starting with the debate on the urgency topic on the African Great Lakes Region. The Assembly agreed to this proposal.

IN THE CHAIR: Mrs HAY WEBSTER

Co-President

Speakers: Berend, Dinyando (Namibia), van den Berg, Nahimana (Burundi), Whitehead, Bawa Bwari (Nigeria), Van Hecke, Osei-Prempeh (Ghana), Aubert, Lutundula (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Morillon, Bounkoulou (Republic of the Congo), Valenciano Martínez-Orozco, Polisi (Rwanda) and Sjöstedt.

IN THE CHAIR: Mrs KINNOCK

Co-President

3.   Statement by Mr de Sousa (Angola) on the Marburg haemorrhagic fever outbreak in Angola

Mr de Sousa (Angola) made a statement on the Marburg haemorrhagic fever outbreak in Angola. The Assembly decided that the two Co-Presidents write a letter to the Angolan authorities to express the concerns, compassion and solidarity of the JPA.

4.   Statement by Mr Louis Michel, Member of the Commission with special responsibility for development and humanitarian aid

Mr Michel set out the position of the European Commission on EU development policy, in particular as regards the Millennium Development Goals, the financing of development, the Cotonou Agreement and the Development Policy Statement.

5.   Question time to the Commission — Mr Michel

Mr Michel answered in writing the 18 questions to the Commission that fell within his remit.

Mr Michel answered the following supplementary questions:

6.   Action taken by the Commission on the resolutions adopted at the 8th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, held in The Hague

Mr Michel referred to the written follow-up given by the Commission on the resolutions adopted during the 8th Joint Parliamentary Session in the Hague. He announced that his services would provide, in writing, additional information if needed following this debate. He announced that the Commission would also provide the Joint Parliamentary Assembly with information on the follow-up given to the resolutions which will be adopted during the 9th session.

7.   Debate with the Commission — Mr Michel

Speakers: Amadou Top (Guinea), Akpovi (Benin), Bowis, Amon-Ago (Côte d'Ivoire), Bawa Bwari (Nigeria), Martínez Martínez, Issoufou (Niger), Mannah (Liberia), François (St Lucia), Joan i Mari, Bullen (St Kitts and Nevis), Bereaux (Trinidad and Tobago), Reyes (Dominican Republic), Morgantini, Weldegiorgis (Eritrea), Kaminski, Kamuntu (Uganda), Gahler, Zani, Metsing (Lesotho), Callanan, Sebetela (Botswana), Davies (South Africa), Gomes, Safuneituga (Samoa), Anggo (Papua New Guinea), Mayer and Michel.

The Co-President gave the floor to Mr Polanco (Cuba), observer, pursuant to Article 4(4) of the Rules of Procedure.

(The sitting adjourned at 1.05 p.m. and resumed at 3.11 p.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Mrs HAY WEBSTER

Co-President

8.   Statement by Mr Jean-Louis Schiltz, Minister for Cooperation and Humanitarian Action (Luxembourg), President-in-Office of the EU Council

Mr Schiltz made a statement on behalf of the EU Council.

9.   Statement by Mr Victor Borges, Minister for Foreign Affairs (Cape Verde), President-in-Office of the ACP Council

Mr Borges made a statement on behalf of the ACP Council.

10.   Question Time to the Council

Four questions had been put to the ACP Council.

Mr Borges answered the following questions and supplementary questions:

The authors of questions 15, 17, and 13 were not present.

The Co-President announced the election of a new Pope, Benedict XVI.

11.   Debate with the Council

Speakers: Lulling, Kamuntu (Uganda), Martínez Martínez, Sebetela (Botswana), Borges, Oumarou (Niger), Akpovi (Benin), Borges and Schiltz.

IN THE CHAIR: Mrs KINNOCK

Co-President

12.   Progress report by Mr Peter Mandelson, Member of the Commission with special responsibility for external trade, on the negotiations on the economic partnership agreements (no resolution)

Mr Mandelson made his statement.

13.   Continuation of point 5. — Mr Mandelson

Mr Mandelson answered the following supplementary questions:

13.   Debate with the Commission — Mr Mandelson

Speakers: Davies (South Africa), Mporogomyi (Tanzania), Dombrovskis, Bereaux (Trinidad and Tobago), Goddard (Barbados), van den Berg, Hay Webster (Co-President, Jamaica), Weldegiorgis (Eritrea), Metsing (Lesotho), Schlyter, Kamuntu (Uganda), Dinyando (Namibia), Sebetela (Botswana), Wieland, McAvan, Nyassa (Cameroon), Faure (Seychelles), Agnoletto and Mandelson.

Mr Wieland expressed his dissatisfaction with the allocation of time between the different debates of the Session.

(The sitting closed at 7.18 p.m.)

Sharon HAY WEBSTER and

Glenys KINNOCK

Co-Presidents

Sir John KAPUTIN

and Dietmar NICKEL

Co-Secretaries-General

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