# C_2006136EN.01000501.xml

| 9.6.2006 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 136/5 |
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9.6.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 136/5

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MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2005

MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2005

(2006/C 136/03)

(The sitting opened at 9.10 a.m.)

(The sitting opened at 9.10 a.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Mrs KINNOCK

KINNOCK

Co-President

Co-President

1.   Substitutes

The Co-President announced the following substitutes: van den Berg (for Bullman), Goebbels (for Rosati) and Schröder (for Coelho).

2.   Approval of the minutes of Monday, 21 November 2005

The minutes were approved.

3.   Statement by Mr Gareth Thomas, Under-Secretary of State in the Department for International Development (United Kingdom), President-in-Office of the EU Council

Mr Thomas made a statement on behalf of the EU Council on EU development policy and the subjects on the Joint Parliamentary Assembly agenda.

4.   Statement by Mr Roger-Marie Rafanomezantsoa, Minister for Industrialisation, Trade and Development of the Private Sector (Madagascar), President-in-Office of the ACP Council

Mr Rafanomezantsoa spoke on the current relevant issues in the relationship between the ACP and the EU.

5.   Question Time — Council

Three questions were put to the ACP Council of Ministers.

Mr Rafanomezantsoa replied to the following questions:

| | Question No 1 by Mr Zani on support for parliaments in the ACP countries; |
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Question No 1 by Mr Zani on support for parliaments in the ACP countries;

| | Question No 2 by Mrs Deerpalsing (Mauritius) on the facility for natural disasters; |
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Question No 2 by Mrs Deerpalsing (Mauritius) on the facility for natural disasters;

| | Question No 3 by Mr Faure (Seychelles) on the Association of Parliamentarians from the Member States of the Indian Ocean Commission. |
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Question No 3 by Mr Faure (Seychelles) on the Association of Parliamentarians from the Member States of the Indian Ocean Commission.

Thirteen questions were put to the European Union Council of Ministers.

Mr Thomas replied to the questions and to the following supplementary questions:

| | Question No 5 by Mrs Carlotti and Mr Dawaleh (Djibouti) on the amount of the multiannual financial framework under the Cotonou Agreement; |
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Question No 5 by Mrs Carlotti and Mr Dawaleh (Djibouti) on the amount of the multiannual financial framework under the Cotonou Agreement;

| | Question No 7 by Mr Bowis on debt relief; |
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Question No 7 by Mr Bowis on debt relief;

| | Question No 10 by Mr Arif and Mrs Van Lancker on EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreements; |
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Question No 10 by Mr Arif and Mrs Van Lancker on EU-ACP Economic Partnership Agreements;

| | Question No 11 by Mr Lehideux on sugar protocol measures to assist ACP countries affected by the reform of the common organisation of the market in sugar; |
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Question No 11 by Mr Lehideux on sugar protocol measures to assist ACP countries affected by the reform of the common organisation of the market in sugar;

| | Question No 13 by Mr Van Hecke on election observation missions; |
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Question No 13 by Mr Van Hecke on election observation missions;

| | Question No 16 by Mr Mitchell on development and security goals; |
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Question No 16 by Mr Mitchell on development and security goals;

| | Question No 14 by Mr Gahler on the coherence of the EU and its Member States in foreign, security and development policy; |
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Question No 14 by Mr Gahler on the coherence of the EU and its Member States in foreign, security and development policy;

| | Question No 17 by Mr Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali) and the representatives of the ECOWAS Member States on peace and stability; |
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Question No 17 by Mr Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali) and the representatives of the ECOWAS Member States on peace and stability;

| | Question No 4 by Mr Weldegiorgis (Eritrea) on peace, development and Cotonou; |
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Question No 4 by Mr Weldegiorgis (Eritrea) on peace, development and Cotonou;

| | Question No 20 by Mr Toga (Ethiopia) on the Ethiopia-Eritrea boundary dispute; |
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Question No 20 by Mr Toga (Ethiopia) on the Ethiopia-Eritrea boundary dispute;

| | Question No 18 by Mr Jardim Fernandes on measures to assist civil society in Zimbabwe. |
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Question No 18 by Mr Jardim Fernandes on measures to assist civil society in Zimbabwe.

The following questions were not followed by supplementary ones:

| | Question No 9 by Mr Geingob (Namibia) on the adoption of a development benchmark approach by the EU Council for the comprehensive and formal EPA review in 2006; |
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Question No 9 by Mr Geingob (Namibia) on the adoption of a development benchmark approach by the EU Council for the comprehensive and formal EPA review in 2006;

| | Question No 19 by Mr Faure (Seychelles) on support for small island states. |
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Question No 19 by Mr Faure (Seychelles) on support for small island states.

The authors of questions Nos 12 and 15 were not present.

6.   Debate with the Council, including the prevention of and the fight against avian flu in Africa

Debate with the European Union Council of Ministers

The following spoke: Deerpalsing (Mauritius), Gahler, Ramotar (Guyana), van den Berg, Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali), Thomas (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Schnellhardt, Kamuntu (Uganda) and Jardim Fernandes.

Debate with the ACP Council of Ministers

The following spoke: Sidi Ould Khalifa (Mauritania), Van Lancker, Weldegiorgis (Eritrea), Toga (Ethiopia), Bowis, Faure (Seychelles), Martínez Martínez and Haug.

7.   Report by Abubakar Bawa Bwari (Nigeria) and Mauro Zani, on behalf of the Committee on Political Affairs, on the role of national parliaments in the implementation of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement (ACP-EU 3760/05/fin.)

Mr Bawa Bwari (Nigeria) and Mr Zani presented their report.

The following spoke: Gahler, Conteh (Sierra Leone), Martínez Martínez, Van Hecke, Faure (Seychelles), Kaczmarek, Mitchell, Alma Oumarou (Niger), Aubert, Aimo (Papua New Guinea), Jöns, Mzembi (Zimbabwe), Poghisio (Kenya), van den Berg and Nambahu (Namibia).

IN THE CHAIR: Mrs HAY WEBSTER

HAY WEBSTER

Co-President

Co-President

The following spoke: Sithole (Mozambique), Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali), Polisi (Rwanda), Nduwimana (Burundi) and Richelle (European Commission).

Mr Bawa Bwari (Nigeria) and Mr Zani wound up the debate.

(The sitting closed at 1.10 p.m. and resumed at 3.14 p.m.)

(The sitting closed at 1.10 p.m. and resumed at 3.14 p.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Mrs HAY WEBSTER

HAY WEBSTER

Co-President

Co-President

8.   Substitutes

The Co-President announced the following substitutes: van den Berg (for Bullmann), Goebbels (for Rosati), Schröder (for Coelho), Bushill-Matthews (for López-Istúriz White) and Hutchinson (for Grabowska).

9.   Approval of the minutes of Tuesday, 22 November 2005

The minutes were approved.

The following spoke: Osei-Prempeh (Ghana).

10.   Address by The Rt. Hon. Jack McConnell, First Minister of Scotland, followed by a debate

Mr McConnell made a statement.

The following spoke: Akpovi (Benin), Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali), McAvan, Kamutu (Uganda), van den Berg, Sebetela (Botswana), Bowis, Bereaux (Trinidad and Tobago), Van Lancker and Deerpalsing (Mauritius).

Mr McConnell responded to the debate.

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

Mr Michel gave an address on behalf of the European Commission.

12.   Question Time — Commission

Twenty-nine questions were put to the Commission.

Mr Michel replied to the questions in writing and gave oral replies to supplementary questions by the following authors:

| | Question No 1 by Mr Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali) on famine and food security; |
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Question No 1 by Mr Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali) on famine and food security;

| | Question No 2 by Mr Jardim Fernandes on EU food aid and food security measures in the context of the Millennium Development Goals; |
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Question No 2 by Mr Jardim Fernandes on EU food aid and food security measures in the context of the Millennium Development Goals;

| | Question No 5 by Mr Mitchell on debt forgiveness; |
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Question No 5 by Mr Mitchell on debt forgiveness;

| | Question No 6 by Mr Bowis on diabetes; |
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Question No 6 by Mr Bowis on diabetes;

| | Question No 7 by Mr Schlyter on neglected diseases; |
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Question No 7 by Mr Schlyter on neglected diseases;

| | Question No 9 by Mr Martínez Martínez on the European Union conference on immigration; |
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Question No 9 by Mr Martínez Martínez on the European Union conference on immigration;

| | Question No 10 by Mrs Carlotti on partnership on immigration in the context of the 'strategy for Africa'; |
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Question No 10 by Mrs Carlotti on partnership on immigration in the context of the 'strategy for Africa';

| | Question No 28 by Mr Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali) on budgetisation of the EDF; |
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Question No 28 by Mr Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali) on budgetisation of the EDF;

| | Question No 13 by Mrs Van Lancker on financial aid; |
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Question No 13 by Mrs Van Lancker on financial aid;

| | Question No 15 by Mr Weldegiorgis (Eritrea) on demarcation of the Eritrea-Ethiopia boundary; |
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Question No 15 by Mr Weldegiorgis (Eritrea) on demarcation of the Eritrea-Ethiopia boundary;

| | Question No 27 by Mr Toga (Ethiopia) on the Ethiopia-Eritrea boundary dispute; |
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Question No 27 by Mr Toga (Ethiopia) on the Ethiopia-Eritrea boundary dispute;

| | Question No 16 by Mr Van Hecke on Burundi; |
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Question No 16 by Mr Van Hecke on Burundi;

| | Question No 18 by Mr Faure (Seychelles) on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities; |
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Question No 18 by Mr Faure (Seychelles) on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities;

| | Question No 23 by Mrs Aubert, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on oil revenues; |
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Question No 23 by Mrs Aubert, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, on oil revenues;

| | Question No 19 by Mr Rodgers (Suriname) on bananas; |
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Question No 19 by Mr Rodgers (Suriname) on bananas;

| | Question No 20 by Mrs McAvan on the banana regime; |
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Question No 20 by Mrs McAvan on the banana regime;

| | Question No 21 by Mr Cornillet (replacing Mr Lehideux) on Sugar Protocol measures to assist ACP countries affected by the reform of the common organisation of the market in sugar; |
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Question No 21 by Mr Cornillet (replacing Mr Lehideux) on Sugar Protocol measures to assist ACP countries affected by the reform of the common organisation of the market in sugar;

| | Question No 22 by Mr Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali), also on behalf of the representatives of Benin and Burkina Faso, on cotton. |
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Question No 22 by Mr Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali), also on behalf of the representatives of Benin and Burkina Faso, on cotton.

The following questions were not followed by supplementary ones:

| | Question No 4 by Mr Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali), Niger and Chad on locust plagues; |
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Question No 4 by Mr Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali), Niger and Chad on locust plagues;

| | Question No 3 by Mr Gahler on food security; |
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Question No 3 by Mr Gahler on food security;

| | Question No 26 by Mr Verges on the outermost regions and neighbouring ACP countries. |
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Question No 26 by Mr Verges on the outermost regions and neighbouring ACP countries.

| | The authors of questions Nos 8, 11, 12, 14, 17, 24, 25 and 29 were not present. |
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The authors of questions Nos 8, 11, 12, 14, 17, 24, 25 and 29 were not present.

13.   Debate with the Commission

The following spoke: Gahler, Deerpalsing (Mauritius), Ramotar (Guyana), Deva, Akpovi (Benin), Van Lancker, Weldegiorgis (Eritrea), Jardim Fernandes, Nduwimana (Burundi), Alma (Niger), Mitchell, van den Berg, Dawaleh (Djibouti), Kamuntu (Uganda), Masilo-Motsamai (Lesotho), Cavuilati (Fiji), Faure (Seychelles) and Hay Webster.

Mr Michel responded to the debate.

14.   Action taken by the Commission on the resolutions adopted at the ninth session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, held in Bamako (Mali)

The Commissioner referred to a document that had been distributed detailing the follow-up by the Commission to the resolutions adopted in Bamako.

The following spoke: Jardim Fernandes.

The Commissioner responded.

(The sitting closed at 7.10 p.m.)

(The sitting closed at 7.10 p.m.)

Sharon HAY WEBSTER and

Glenys KINNOCK

Co-Presidents

Sir John KAPUTIN and

Dietmar NICKEL

Co-Secretaries-General

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