# C_2005080EN.01000501.xml

| 1.4.2005 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | C 80/5 |
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1.4.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 80/5

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MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 2004

MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY

NOVEMBER

(2005/C 80/03)

(The sitting opened at 9.00)

(The sitting opened at 9.00)

IN THE CHAIR: Mrs KINNOCK

Co-President

Co-President

1.   Substitutes

The Co-President announced the following substitutes: van den Berg (for Dobolyi), Badía i Cutchet (for Pleguezuelos Aguilar).

2.   Urgent topic 2: The damage caused by cyclones in the Caribbean

Speakers: Vivian (Niue), Rivière (Dominica), Dokora (Zimbabwe), Safuneituuga (Samoa), Conteh (Sierra Leone), Gunness (Mauritius), Bereaux (Trinidad and Tobago) and Malin (European Commission)

3.   Statement by Louis Michel, Member of the Commission for development and humanitarian aid

Mr Michel, who was attending the JPA for the first time as a Member of the Commission, set out his priorities for the Cotonou Partnership Agreement and relations with the ACP countries. He stressed the importance of continuing dialogue between the partners.

4.   Question Time — Commission

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

Mr Michel answered the following supplementary questions:

Question 1 by Mr Wijkman on coordination and complementarity of development aid;

Question 2 by Mr Zīle on poverty reduction;

Question 15 by Mr Busk on the allegation that HIV/AIDS is a biological weapon;

(Mr Lehideux asked a supplementary question on behalf of the author);

Question 18 by Mr van den Berg and Mr Tapsoba (Burkina Faso) on consumer health protection policy;

(Mr van den Berg asked a supplementary question on behalf of the author);

Question 23 by Mrs Carlotti on an action plan for children's rights;

Question 29 by Mr Faure (Seychelles) on the Millennium Development Goals;

Question 25 by Mr Weldegiorgis (Eritrea) on peace and development;

Question 26 by Mr Van Hecke on support for the transition and peace process in the DRC;

Question 28 by Mr Martínez Martínez on moves to reopen political dialogue with Cuba;

Question 13 by Mr Davies (South Africa) on the implementation of the Trade, Development and Cooperation Agreement with South Africa;

(Mr Metsing (Lesotho) asked a supplementary question on behalf of the author);

Question 19 by the representatives of Mali, Niger, Chad, Senegal and Mauritania on the plague of locusts in Western and Central Africa;

(Mr Imbarcaouane (Mali) asked a supplementary question on behalf of the author);

Questions 5 and 6 by Mrs Bereaux (Trinidad and Tobago) and Mr Lehideux on reform of the common market organisation for sugar;

Question 8 by Mr Schlyter on the ACP-EU trade negotiations;

Questions 16 and 17 by Mr Agnoletto and Mr Arif on access to medicines in developing countries;

(Mr Arif asked a supplementary question on behalf of the authors);

Question 20 by Mr Gahler on EU frozen poultry exports to West Africa;

Question No 21 by Mr Imbarcaouane (Mali) on dismantling of tariff barriers;

Question 22 by the representatives of Mali, Benin, Burkina Faso and Chad on the cotton initiative;

(Mr Imbarcaouane (Mali) asked a supplementary question on behalf of the authors);

The following authors did not put supplementary questions:

Question 24 by Mrs Kinnock on capacity building for ACP parliaments;

Question 14 by Mr Vergès on cooperation between extremely remote areas and neighbouring countries;

Question 11 by Mr Metsing (Lesotho) on modification of EBA rules of origin for clothing products;

The authors of questions 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 27 were not present.

The Co-President thanked Mr Michel for his commitment and cooperation with the Assembly and wished him every success in his new duties.

5.   Follow-up by the Commission to resolutions adopted at the seventh session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly (Addis Ababa) (1)

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In his statement, Mr Michel referred to the document on follow-up to the resolutions.

6.   Debate with the Commission

Speakers: Kamuntu (Uganda), Gunness (Mauritius), Arouna Mounkeila (Niger), Martens, Metsing (Lesotho), Onusumba Yemba (Democratic Republic of Congo), Polisi (Rwanda), Safuneituuga (Samoa), Gahler, Nyassa (Cameroon), Martínez Martínez, Faure (Seychelles), Davies (South Africa), Lehideux, Idje (Benin), Wijkman, Dawaleh (Djibouti), Fernandes, Natchaba (Togo), Gomes and Michel, Member of the Commission.

7.   Debate on the situation in the African Great Lakes region

| — | Statement by Aldo Ajello, EU special representative for the Great Lakes region |
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Mr Aldo Ajello made a statement on the situation in the Great Lakes region.

Speakers: Marini Bodho (Democratic Republic of Congo), Polisi (Rwanda), Niyuhire (Burundi), Berend, Kamuntu (Uganda), van den Berg, Poghisio (Kenya), Idje (Benin), Van Hecke, Dawaleh (Djibouti), Rawiri (Gabon), Michel (Commission) and Ajello (Council).

8.   Report on the activities of the economic and social partners

Mr Vever, newly-elected Chairman of the Economic and Social Committee's ACP-EU monitoring committee, made a statement on the conclusions of the seventh ACP-EU regional seminar of economic and social partners, held in Fiji on 18, 19 and 20 October 2004.

Mr Mantovani and Mr Nabuka, the two ACP-EU Vice-Presidents who attended the seminar, were not present. Mr Mantovani would make a statement the following day.

Speakers: Vever and the Co-Presidents.

(The sitting adjourned at 13.20. and resumed at 15.20)

(The sitting adjourned at 13.20. and resumed at 15.20)

IN THE CHAIR: Mr SARDJOE

Co-President

Co-President

9.   Approval of the minutes of Tuesday morning, 23 November 2004

The minutes were approved.

10.   Statement by Agnes van Ardenne-van der Hoeven, the Netherlands Minister for Development Cooperation, President-in-Office of the EU Council

Mrs van Ardenne-van der Hoeven made a statement on behalf of the EU Council.

11.   Statement by Keith D. Knight, Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, President-in-Office of the ACP Council

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

12.   Question Time — Council

Three questions were put to the ACP Council of Ministers.

Mr Knight answered the questions and to the following supplementary questions:

Question 2 by Mr Davies (South Africa) on food safety and ACP exports;

Question 3 by Mrs Gomes on proceedings for the accession of East Timor to the Partnership Agreement.

The author of Question 1 was not present.

Sixteen questions were put to the EU Council of Ministers.

Mrs van Ardenne-van der Hoeven answered the questions and the following supplementary questions:

Question 4 by Mrs Gomes on intervention by a European gendarmerie force in Darfur;

Question 5 by Mr Van Hecke on the peace process in the Great Lakes region;

Question 7 by Mr Weldegiorgis (Eritrea) on peace and the Cotonou Agreement;

Question 9 by Mr Martínez Martínez on review of the Council's common position on Cuba;

Question 10 by Mr Wijkman on coordination and complementarity of development aid;

Question 12 by Mrs Carlotti on a global tax to fund development;

Question 15 by Mr Vergès on climatic change and development in ACP countries;

Question 16 by Mr Imbarcaouane (Mali) on measures to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis;

Question 17 by Mr Busk on the allegation that HIV/AIDS is a biological weapon;

(Ms Hall asked a supplementary question on behalf of the author);

Question 19 by Mr Faure (Seychelles) on poverty-related diseases;

The author of the following question did not put a supplementary question:

Question 5 by Mr Joan i Marí on EU arms exports;

The authors of questions No 6, 10, 13 and 18 were not present.

13.   Debate with the Council

Speakers: Faure (Seychelles), Martens, Beda (Sudan), Humphrey (Barbados) and Wijkman.

At his request, Mr Polanco (Cuba), observer, was authorised to speak, pursuant to Article 4(4) of the Rules of Procedure.

Mrs van Ardenne and Mr Knight answered questions.

14.   Report by Mr Sanga (Solomon Islands) and Mr Bowis — Food aid and food security in the ACP countries — Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment

| — | Statement by Carl Greenidge, Director of the ACP-EU Technical Centre for the Development of Agriculture |
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Mr Metsing (Lesotho) presented the report on behalf of Mr Sanga (Solomon Islands) and Mr Bowis.

Mr Greenidge made a statement on behalf of the ACP-EU Technical Centre for the Development of Agriculture.

Speakers: Arouna Mounkeila (Niger), Martens, Weldegiorgis (Eritrea), Hall, Conteh (Sierra Leone), Schnellhardt, Nyassa (Cameroon), Faure (Seychelles) and Tamplin (Botswana).

(The sitting closed at 19.15)

(The sitting closed at 19.15)

Ramdien SARDJOE and Glenys KINNOCK

Co-Presidents

Jean-Robert GOULONGANA and Dietmar NICKEL

Co-Secretaries-General

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(1)  OJ C 120, 30.4.2004.

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