# C_2004120EN.01000401.xml

| 30.4.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 120/4 |
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30.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 120/4

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MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF TUESDAY, 17 FEBRUARY 2004

(2004/C 120/02)

(The sitting opened at 9.15 a.m.)

(The sitting opened at 9.15 a.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Mrs KINNOCK

Co-President

Co-President

1.   Substitutes

The Co-President announced the following substitutes: André-Léonard (for Manders), Bébéar (for Averoff), Boumediene-Thiery (for Lucas), Bremmer (for Gouveia), Bushill-Matthews (for Balfe), Gahler (for Foster), Klass (for Vidal-Quadras Roca), Knolle (for Sudre), McAvan (for McCarthy), Ribeiro (for Vinci), Roure (for Carlotti) and Scarbonchi (for Wurtz).

2.   Statement by Mr Poul Nielson, Member of the Commission with responsibility for development and humanitarian aid, and follow-up by the Commission to resolutions adopted at the 6th session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly (Rome)

The Co-President announced that the Bureau had confirmed that each Standing Committee was responsible for checking what action had been taken on resolutions adopted — not only at the last session but also at earlier sessions — and would include an item on this subject on the agenda for each of its meetings.

Mr Nielson welcomed the progress made thanks to the creation of the African Union, and made a statement on the current state of development cooperation under the EDF. He also described the follow-up by the Commission to resolutions adopted at the 6th session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly (Rome), set out in the document distributed earlier (APP/3658).

3.   Question time — Commission

12 questions were put to the Commission, which replied in writing.

Mr Nielson replied to the following supplementary questions:

Question No 2 by Mrs Sandbæk on the impact of the Mexico City policy;

Question No 3 by Mr Bowis on epilepsy;

Question No 10 by Mr Khanbhai on the EU's development policy;

Question No 1 by Mr van den Berg on ‘Publish what you pay’;

Question No 5 by Mrs Sauquillo Pérez del Arco on European cooperation with immigrants' countries of origin;

Question No 6 by Mr van den Bos on inter-faith dialogue;

Question No 9 by Mr Martínez Martínez on EU-Cuba relations;

Question No 4 by Mr Rod on access to medicines.

The following authors refrained from putting a supplementary question:

Question No 12 by Mr Imbarcaouane (Mali) on the EDF;

Question No 11 by Mrs Roure on access to water in the ACP countries.

The authors of questions Nos 7 and 8 were not present.

The following spoke: Osei-Prempeh (Ghana), Touray (Gambia), Theorin, Ramotar (Guyana), Nielson (Member of the Commission), Wijkman, Metsing (Lesotho), Polanco (1) (Cuba, observer), Boumediene-Thiery, Faure (Seychelles), Davies (South Africa), Arnaoud (Djibouti), Beda (Sudan), Bowis, Mporogomyi (Tanzania), Scarbonchi, Conteh (Sierra Leone), Natchaba (Togo), Kangai (Zimbabwe), France (Namibia), Polisi (Rwanda), Martens, Rwabita (Uganda), Sylla and Lesrima (Kenya).

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The Co-President thanked Mr Nielson for his commitment, his receptiveness and his good cooperation with the Assembly.

4.   Urgent topic 2: damage caused by cyclones in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean and the need for a rapid response to natural disasters (ACP-EU 3669/04)

The following spoke: Taufitu (Niue), Taio (Cook Islands), Wijkman, Nabuka (Fiji), Bullen (Dominica), Junker, Gunness (Mauritius), Isler Béguin, Razoarimihaja (Madagascar), Sjöstedt, Sanga (Solomon Islands) and Malin (Commission representative).

The Co-President announced that there were still 12 names on the list of speakers. The debate would be resumed later if time allowed.

(The sitting adjourned at 1.10 p.m. and resumed at 3.17 p.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Mr SARDJOE

Co-President

Co-President

5.   Approval of the minutes of Monday, 16 February 2004

The minutes were approved.

6.   Statement by Mr Tom Kitt, Minister for Development and Human Rights (Ireland), President-in-Office of the EU Council

Mr Kitt made a statement on EU development policy and the subjects on the Joint Parliamentary Assembly Agenda.

7.   Statement by Mr Pierre Moussa, Minister for the Plan, Regional Planning and Economic Integration (Republic of the Congo), President-in-Office of the ACP Council

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

8.   Question Time — Council

Four questions were put to the ACP Council of Ministers.

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

Question No 1 by Mrs Schörling on the introduction of GM seeds in Africa;

Question No 2 by Mrs Isler Béguin on uranium mines;

Question No 4 by Mrs Isler Béguin on Cuba;

Question No 19 by Mr Imbarcaouane (Mali) on conflict prevention and resolution in Africa.

Fourteen questions were put to the European Union Council of Ministers:

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

Question No 13 by Mr van den Bos on tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea;

Question No 14 by Mrs Sauquillo Pérez del Arco on democratisation and regional cooperation in Central Africa;

Question No 16 by Mr van den Berg on the UN Report on the Democratic Republic of Congo;

Question No 17 by Mr Faure (Seychelles) on duty concessions on imports of tuna;

Question No 18 by Mr Imbarcaouane (Mali) on cotton;

Question No 7 by Mrs Schörling on foreign debt;

Question No 8 by Mr Martínez Martínez on arms trade, including small arms;

Question No 9 by Mrs Maes on the code of conduct on arms exports;

Question No 11 by Mrs Isler Béguin on uranium;

Question No 12 by Mrs Roure on the expulsion of illegal immigrants.

The following author did not put a supplementary question:

Question No 10 by Mrs Scheele (replacing Mrs Sandbæk) on the appointment of an EU ambassador to combat HIV/AIDS.

The authors of questions No 5, 6 and 15 were not present.

9.   Report by Mr Klutse (Togo) and Mr Morillon — ‘Conflict prevention and resolution and the establishment of a lasting peace’ — Committee on Political Affairs (ACP-EU 3601/04)

The Co-President expressed his satisfaction at the positive outcome and follow-up to the first report of the Committee on Political Affairs on children's rights and particularly child soldiers.

Mr Klutse (Togo) and Mr Bébéar (replacing Mr. Morillon) presented their report.

Mr Said Djinnit, African Union Commissioner for peace, security and political affairs, made a statement.

Mr Khanbhai, on a point of order, observed that it was customary for the ACP-EU Council to respond to questions from the floor and outlined a question on the Republic of the Congo which he would have wished to put to the President of the ACP Council.

The Co-President replied that, under Article 20 of the Rules of Procedure, supplementary questions to the ACP-EU Council could only be put by the authors of written questions and that questions could only be taken from the floor if time allowed, which was not the case.

The debate on the report by Mr Klutse and Mr Morillon resumed.

The following spoke: Osei-Prempeh (Ghana), Khanbhai, Touray (Gambia), De Sousa (Angola), Amon-Ago (Côte d'Ivoire), Nahimana (Burundi), Theorin, van den Bos, Bawa Bwari (Nigeria), Maes, Sithole (Mozambique), Scarbonchi, Imbarcaouane (Mali), Djinnit (Commission of the African Union), Natchaba (Togo), Junker, Sauquillo Pérez del Arco, Sylla, McAvan, Kamuntu (Uganda), Matongo (Zambia), Samba (Solomon Islands), Onusumba (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Mporogomyi (Tanzania) and Kangai (Zimbabwe).

Mr Klutse and Mr Bébéar responded to the debate.

The Co-President announced that the debate on Haiti would take place at the beginning of the session the following afternoon.

(The sitting closed at 7.17 p.m.)

(The sitting closed at 7.17 p.m.)

Ramdien SARDJOE and Glenys KINNOCK

Co-Presidents

Jean-Robert GOULONGANA and Dietmar NICKEL

Co-Secretaries-General

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(1)  Mr Polanco was given the floor, with the agreement of the Assembly, in accordance with Article 4(4) of the Rules of Procedure.

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