EN Official Journal of the European Union C 160/1

JOINT PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT CONCLUDED BETWEEN THE MEMBERS OF THE AFRICAN, CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC GROUP OF STATES, OF THE ONE PART, AND THE EUROPEAN UNION AND ITS MEMBER STATES, OF THE OTHER PART

MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF MONDAY, 1 December 2014

(2015/C 160/01)

Contents

Formal inaugural sitting 1

Sitting of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly 2

Composition of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly 2

Accreditation of non-parliamentary representatives 2

1. Adoption of agenda (AP101.704) 2

2. Approval of the minutes of the final sitting of the 27th session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly (OJ C 345, 2.10.2014) 2

3. Co-Presidents’ announcements, including decisions taken at the Bureau meeting of 30 November 2014 2

4. Statement by Mohamed Diaré, Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Finance (Republic of Guinea), President-in-Office of the ACP Council 3

5. Question Time to the ACP Council 3

6. Debate with the ACP Council — catch-the-eye 3

7. Urgent topic No 1: The Ebola outbreak 4

8. Virunga National Park 4

MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF MONDAY, 1 DECEMBER 2014

(The sitting opened at 11.00 a.m.)

Formal inaugural sitting

The following addressed the Assembly:

Louis Michel, Co-President of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly, and Fitz A. Jackson, Co-President of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

(The sitting adjourned at 12.00 and resumed at 15.00.)

IN THE CHAIR: Louis MICHEL

Co-President

Sitting of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly

The Co-President welcomed all the participants.

Composition of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly

The Co-President announced that the list of members of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly, as forwarded by the authorities of the ACP states and the European Parliament, would be annexed to the minutes.

Accreditation of non-parliamentary representatives

The Co-President announced that two requests for accreditation of non-parliamentary representatives had been received in accordance with Article 17(1) of the Cotonou Agreement and Article 1(2) of the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly, owing to a case of force majeure. The representatives’ presence would be recorded and their names listed in an annex to the minutes.

1. Adoption of agenda (AP101.704)

The agenda was adopted as shown in these minutes.

2. Approval of the minutes of the final sitting of the 27th session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly (OJ C 345, 2.10.2014)

The minutes were approved.

3. Co-Presidents’ announcements, including decisions taken at the Bureau meeting of 30 November 2014

The Co-President reported on the outcome of the Bureau meeting of 30 November 2014.

The following decisions were taken:

a) The standing committees would draft the following reports: Committee on Political Affairs — Evaluation of the African Peace Facility after ten years: effectiveness and prospects for the future Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade — Forty years of partnership: evaluation of the impact on trade and development in the ACP countries and prospects for enduring relations between the ACP countries and the European Union Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment — How to improve economic and social conditions in developing countries, including the contribution of family businesses, in order to prevent health disasters

b) The Democratic Republic of Congo offered to host the 12th regional meeting originally scheduled for the week of 16 to 20 February 2015, and would undertake to organise the meeting during the week concerned, at a venue to be confirmed. The draft agenda and work programme was adopted.

c) The fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe originally decided upon in 2012 will be organised in 2015 pending confirmation and proposal of dates, provided no conditions are imposed regarding its programme by the Zimbabwean government.

d) A fact-finding mission to Lampedusa (Italy) to examine matters relating to migration and human trafficking will be organised.

e) The 29th Session in the Pacific Region was confirmed and will be held from 15 to 17 June 2015 in Vanuatu.

f) The 30th Session will be held in Southern Africa from 5 to 9 December 2015 in Mozambique.

The Co-President announced the following deadlines:

— concerning amendments to the compromise resolutions (on the Ebola outbreak and on the expansion of terrorism in Africa): Tuesday 2 December 2014 at 12 noon;

— concerning requests relating to voting methods: Wednesday 19 March 2014 at 10.00 a.m., in writing.

João Ferreira and Carlos Zorrinho requested the use of active Portuguese interpretation. Louis Michel recalled the decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament on interpreting and translation facilities for meetings of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and its bodies.

4. Statement by Mohamed Diaré, Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Finance (Republic of Guinea), President-in-Office of the ACP Council

The role of the private sector was the focal point of the statement by Mohamed Diaré, Minister of State for Economic Affairs and Finance of the Republic of Guinea, in which he outlined the ACP-EU Joint Cooperation Framework on private sector development in ACP countries adopted by the ACP Council of Ministers in June 2014. The Minister also underlined the strategic importance of the agricultural sector, which is a priority when it comes to feeding people. Access to water falls under the key actions for achieving this objective, and the Minister praised, in particular, the recently agreed joint EU-FAO programme against desertification. Last but not least, he testified concerning the disaster caused by Ebola in his country and thanked the governments, international organisations and NGOs providing financial and moral support.

5. Question Time to the ACP Council

Mohamed Diaré replied on behalf of the ACP Council to the following questions:

Question 1 by Norbert Neuser on the implementation of the forest law enforcement, governance and trade (FLEGT) action plan;

Question 2 by Charles Goerens (replaced by Javier Nart) on ‘Post-2020’;

Question 3 by Louis Aliot (replaced by Jean-Luc Schaffhauser) on making development aid dependent on efforts by the countries of origin of clandestine migration;

Question 4 by Enrique Guerrero Salom on financing through the European Development Fund;

Question 5 by Javier Nart on alarm caused by calls for concerted jihadist action in the Maghreb and Arab countries;

Question 6 by Dariusz Rosati (replaced by Davor Ivo Stier) on small and medium-sized enterprises;

Question 7 by Catherine Bearder on the trade in lion trophies;

Question 8 by Marielle de Sarnez (replaced by Pavel Telička) on measures to combat deforestation;

Question 9 by Carlos Zorrinho on the exploitation of shale gas in Africa;

Question 10 by Marlene Mizzi (replaced by Kashetu Kyenge) on ‘Education: Making a difference in women’s lives?’;

Question 11 by Francesco Gambús on the assessment of Economic Partnership Agreements;

Question 12 by David Martin on the Cariforum Economic Partnership Agreement Joint Consultative Committee;

Question 13 by Kashetu Kyenge on migration and human rights in Africa.

The authors of questions 1, 4, 6, 10 and 11 had no supplementary questions.

6. Debate with the ACP Council – catch-the-eye

Speakers: James Kembi Gitura (Kenya), Lidia Senra Rodríguez, João Ferreira, Mohamed El Moctar Zamel (Mauritania), Hassad El Rasur Amir (Sudan), Enrique Guerrero Salom, Maria Heubuch and Louis Michel.

Members raised a wide range of issues, including EPAs, the link between development and the private sector, the renegotiation of the Cotonou Agreement and the impact of the transatlantic trade negotiations on ACP countries. A study will be requested on the TTIP and its impact on ACP countries.

7. Urgent topic No 1: the Ebola outbreak

Jean-Louis de Brouwer (European Commission) gave a presentation on the actions undertaken by the EU to fight the Ebola virus disease (EVD).

Speakers: Mo-Mamo Karerwa (Burundi), Davor Ivo Stier, Teresa Efua Asangano (Equatorial Guinea), Enrique Guerrero Salom, Anastasie Moleko Moliwa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Arne Gericke, Louis André Dacoury-Tabley (Côte d’Ivoire), Juan Carlos Girauta Vida, Musa Hussein Naib (Eritrea), Lidia Senra Rodríguez, Abadula Gemeda Dago (Ethiopia), Maria Heubuch, Netty Baldeh (Gambia), Piernicola Pedicini, Ofosu Asamoah (Ghana), Jean-Luc Schaffhauser, Dharamkumar Seeraj (Guyana), Mariya Gabriel, Mikael Philips (Jamaica), Norbert Neuser, Joyce Laboso (Kenya), Pavel Telička, James Munthali (Malawi), Kombo Gberi (Cameroon), Eleni Theocharous, Ahamada Soukouna (Mali), Kashetu Kyenge, Mohamed El Moctar Zamel (Mauritania), Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Adjedoue Weidou (Chad), Komi Selom Klassou (Togo), Carlos Zorrinho, Abdoulaye Sylla (Guinea) and Ibrahim Bundu (Sierra Leone).

Members expressed condolences to the countries and families of those who have lost their lives in the EVD outbreak, as well as their sincere appreciation of the efforts made by all humanitarian and health workers in fighting this epidemic. They also expressed concern at the underestimation of the crisis by the international community and the delay in ensuring adequate, coordinated strategy and assistance, but welcomed the ongoing scaling-up of the international community’s commitment to fighting Ebola. In their view, this endeavour should not be limited to fighting the disease but also to creating the conditions for the post-Ebola social and economic reconstruction of affected countries.

Jean-Louis de Brouwer (European Commission) wound up the debate.

8. Virunga National Park

Debate with Emmanuel de Merode, Director of the Virunga National Park

Emmanuel de Merode, Director of the Virunga National Park (Democratic Republic of Congo), pointed out three main threats to the preservation of the Park, namely: poaching and deforestation; uncontrolled fishing; and illegal oil exploitation.

Speakers: Netty Baldeh (Gambia), Joachim Zeller, Arne Gericke, Charles Nsimba Mwando (Democratic Republic of Congo), Louis Michel, Lidia Senra Rodríguez, Bodil Ceballos, Laura Agea, Catherine Bearder and Peter Craig McQuaide (European Commission).

Members acknowledged that the situation has two main causes: the fragility of state institutions and the ease of formation of illegal groups. They recognised the role played by rural industry, and hydroelectricity in particular, in developing a sustainable economy while competing with non-environment-friendly corporations. Members also agreed on the need to preserve biodiversity of flora and fauna by properly enforcing environmental laws and imposing stricter controls on the export of weapons.

Emmanuel de Merode wound up the debate.

(The sitting closed at 18.30.)