Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 14.9.2009
31. Recalls the E U’s positive experien ce regarding the protection  of mino rity rights and the peaceful solution  
of 
border 
conflicts;
32. Calls 
on 
ACP and 
EU 
countries 
to recognise 
the positive impact of the African  
Union 
Constitutive 
Act 
which stipulates that g overnments
 which come to power throug h
 unconstitu
tional
 means
 shall not
 be
 
allowed to participate in  
the activities of the African  
Union;
33. Believes 
that the African  
Peer Review Mechan ism 
effectively en hances 
democratic in stitutions 
which fos­
ter diversity an d 
responsible 
governance; 
urges 
ACP regional 
and 
subregi
onal 
organisations 
to give 
greater 
consideration 
to minority 
issues in 
such framework s;
34. Instructs 
its Co-Presiden ts 
to forward this resolution  
to the ACP-E U 
Council 
of Ministers, 
the Commis­
sion 
of the African  
Union, 
the Pan-African 
Parliamen t 
and 
national 
and 
regional 
parliamen ts, 
the Euro­
pean 
Commission , 
the UN an d 
regional 
organisations, 
and 
the EU 
and 
African 
Union 
Presidencies.
RESOLUTION
(1) Adopted b y the ACP-E U Joint Parliamen tary Assembly on 9 April in  Prague (Czech Repub lic) (1)
on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and their impact on ACP States
The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,
—meeting in Prague (Czech Repub lic) from 6 to 9 April 2009, 
—having reg ard to Article 17(1) of its Rules of Procedure, 
—having 
regard 
to Article 178 of the Treaty estab lishing 
the European 
Community,
 
—having 
regard 
to the Partn ership 
Agreement 
between 
the memb ers 
of the African , 
Caribbean 
and 
Pacific 
Group of States of the on e 
part, and 
the European 
Community 
and 
its Member 
States, of the other part, 
signed 
in 
Cotonou 
on 23 
June 
2000 (the Coton ou 
Agreement)
(2) OJ L 317, 15.12.2000, p. 3. (2), 
—having 
regard 
to the Decision
(3) AU/Dec. 197(XI ) (3) of the Eleventh ordinary session of the African  Union Assembly of Heads 
of 
State and 
Government, 
meeting 
in 
Sharm El-Sheik, 
Egypt, 
from 30 June
 to 1 July 2008, on  
the report 
on 
Economic 
Partnership 
Agreements,
 
—having 
regard 
to the Declaration  
of the Ten th 
ordinary 
session 
of the African  
Union 
Assembly 
of Heads 
of State an d 
Government, 
meeting 
in 
Addis Ababa, 
from 31 January
 to 2 Februa
ry 2008, on  
Economic 
Partnership 
Agreements,
 
—having 
regard 
to the ‘Accra Declaration ’ adopted on  3 
October 
2008 at the 6th Summit of the ACP Heads 
of State an d 
Government
(4) ACP/28/025/08 (4), 
—having 
regard 
to the Commun ication 
from the Commission  
to the Coun cil, 
the European 
Parliamen t 
and 
the 
Economic 
and 
Social Committee of 12 April 2005 on  
Policy Coheren ce 
for Developmen t 
– Acceler­
ating 
progress 
towards attain ing 
the Millen nium 
Developmen t 
Goals
(5) COM(2005) 134 fin al (5),N E 4 2 / 1 2 2 C
Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion C 221/25
—having reg ard to the con clusions adopted b y the General Affairs an d Exter nal Relations Council (GAERC) 
in 
May 2005 in  
respect of the Millen nium 
Developmen t 
Goals
(1) 9266/05 (1), 
—having 
regard 
to Council 
Regulation 
(EC) 
No 980/2005 of 27 June 
2005 applyin g 
a scheme of g enera­
lised 
tariff preferen ces
(2) OJ L 169, 30.6.2005, p. 1. (2), 
—having
 regard
 to Council
 Regulation
 (EC)
 No 1528/2007 of 20 Decemb er
 2007 applying
 the arran ge
­
ments 
for products orig inating 
in 
certain 
states which are part of the African , 
Caribbean 
and 
Pacific (ACP) 
Group of States provided for in  
agreements 
establishing, 
or leading 
to the estab lishment 
of, Economic 
Part­
nership 
Agreements
(3) OJ L 348, 31.12.2007, p. 1-154 (3), 
—having 
regard 
to the con clusions 
of the 2870th E U 
General 
Affairs an d 
Exte
rnal 
Relations 
Council 
meet­
ing 
of 26 and 27 
May 2008 on  
the Economic 
Partnership 
Agreements,
 
—having 
regard 
to the resolution  
of the ACP-E U 
Council 
of Ministers 
adopted in  
Addis Ababa 
on 13 
June 
2008
, 
—having 
regard 
to the Commun ication 
of 27 June 
2007 from the Commission  
to the European 
Parliamen t 
and 
the Council 
entitled ‘
From Cairo to Lisb on 
– The EU-Africa 
Strategic 
Partnership
’ (COM(2007) 357), 
—having 
regard 
to the Commun ication 
of 23 Octob er 
2007 from the Commission  
to the European 
Parlia­
ment 
and 
the Council, 
on 
Economic 
Partnership 
Agreements 
(COM(2007) 635), 
—having 
regard 
to the Gen eral 
Agreement 
on 
Tariffs and 
Trade (GATT), in  
particular Article XXI V 
thereof, 
—having 
regard 
to the United 
Nations 
Millennium 
Declaration  
of 8 Septemb e
r 2000, which sets out the Mil­
lennium
 Developmen t
 Goals as criteria collectively estab l
ished by
 the international
 commun ity
 for the 
elimination 
of poverty, 
—having 
regard 
to the Declaration  
of the secon d 
Conference 
of African  
Mini
sters in 
Charge 
of Integration, 
adopted 
in 
Kigali, 
Rwanda, 
on 26
 and 27 
July 2007, 
—- having
 regard
 to the Declaration s
 of the Fourth an d
 Fifth African Un ion
 Conference
 of Ministers
 for 
Trade, meetin g 
in 
Addis Ababa 
on 3 
April 2008 an d 2 
March 2009, on  
Economic 
Partnership 
Agreements,
 
—having 
regard 
to the report presen ted 
by 
Ms Christian e 
Taubira, 
Member 
of the Fren ch 
National 
Assem­
bly, 
on 16 
June 
2008 entitled: ‘
Les Accords de Parten ariat 
Economique 
entr
e l’Union 
européenne 
et les 
pays ACP. E t 
si la Politique se mêlait en fin 
des affaires du mon de?
’, 
—having 
regard 
to the European 
Parliamen t 
resolution  
of 26 Septemb er 
2002 on 
the European 
Parliamen t’s 
recommen dations 
to the Commission  
concerning 
the negotiation 
of Economi
c Partnership 
Agreements 
with 
the ACP coun tries 
and 
regions
(4) OJ C 273 E , 14.11.2003, p. 305. (4), 
—having 
regard 
to the European 
Parliamen t 
resolution  
of 23 March 2006 on  
the developmen t 
impact of 
Economic 
Partnership 
Agreements 
(EPAs)
(5) OJ C 292 E , 1.12.2006, p. 121. (5), 
—having
 regard
 to the E uropean
 Parliamen t
 resolution of 23  May 2007  on Econ
omic Partn ership
 
Agreements
(6) OJ C 102 E , 24.4.2008, p. 301. (6),N E 9 0 0 2 . 9 . 4 1
Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 14.9.2009
—having reg ard to the European Parliamen t resolution  of 23 May 2007 on  the EU’s Aid for Trade
(1) OJ C 102 E , 24.4.2008, p. 291. (1), 
—having
 regard
 to the European
 Parliamen t
 resolution of 12 Decemb er
 2007 on Economic
 Partnership
 
Agreements
(2) Texts adopted, P6_TA(2007) 614. (2), 
—having 
regard 
to its resolution  
of 19 February 
2004 on 
Economic 
Partnersh
ip Agreements 
(EPAs): 
prob­
lems 
and 
prospects
(3) OJ C 120, 30.4.2004 p. 16-22. (3), 
—having 
regard 
to its resolution  
of 23 Novemb er 
2006 on 
the review of n egoti
ations 
on 
Economic 
Part­
nership 
Agreements 
(EPAs)
(4) OJ C 330, 30.12.2006 p. 36-40. (4), 
—having 
regard 
to its Kigali 
Declaration  
for developmen t-friendly 
Econo
mic Partnership 
Agreements 
(EPAs), 
adopted 
on 20 
November 
2007
(5) OJ C 58, 1.3.2008 p. 44-46. (5), 
—having
 regard
 to the report b y
 the Committee on E conomic
 Developmen t,
 Finance
 and Trade 
(ACP-EU/100.463/09/fin.),
A. whereas 
Article 36(1) of the Coton ou 
Agreement 
contains 
the agreement 
of the European 
Union 
and 
the 
ACP States to con clude ‘
WTO compatib le 
trading 
arrangements, 
removing 
progressively 
barriers 
to trade 
between 
them and 
enhancing 
cooperation  
in 
all areas relevan t 
to trade’,
B. whereas, however, Article 37(3) of that Ag reement 
lays down  
that a ‘preparatory period shall also b e 
used 
for capacity-b uilding 
in 
the public 
and 
private sectors of ACP coun tries
’,
C. whereas n egotiations 
between 
the European 
Union 
and 
the ACP Group of States on  
issues of g eneral 
inter­
est 
started in 
2002 and 
were followed b y 
separate n egotiations 
between 
the EU 
and 
six EPA 
regions 
(Car­
ibbean, 
West Africa, Cen tral 
Africa, Eastern 
and 
Southern 
Africa, SADC min us, 
Pacific),
D. whereas the 15 Memb er 
States of the Carib bean 
Forum of African , 
Caribbea
n 
and 
Pacific States (CARI ­
FORUM) 
initialled 
an 
Economic 
Partnership 
Agreement 
with the E U 
and 
its Member 
States on 16 
Decem­
ber 
2007,
E. whereas 
18 African  
countries, 
of which 8 are Least Developed Coun tries 
(LDCs), in itialled ‘
stepping 
stone
’ 
Economic 
Partnership 
Agreements 
in 
November 
and 
December 
2007, while 29 other African  
ACP coun ­
tries, 
of which three are n on-LDCs, 
did not 
initial 
any 
EPAs, 
and 
whereas South Africa had already sig ned 
up 
to the Trade, Developmen t 
and 
Cooperation  
Agre
ement 
(TDCA), a WTO compatib le 
trade regime 
with 
the European 
Union,
F. whereas 
Papua New Guin ea 
and 
Fiji, two n on-LDC 
ACP coun tries, 
initialle
d an 
interim 
Economic 
Part­
nership 
Agreement 
on 23 
November 
2007, while the remain ing 
Pacific ACP coun tries 
(six LDCs an d 
seven 
non-LDCs) 
did not 
initial 
an 
EPA,
G. whereas 
in 
2008 only 
the agreement 
between 
the CARIFORUM 
States and 
the EU an d 
the interim 
agree­
ments 
between 
the EU 
and 
Côte d’Ivoire 
and 
the EU 
and 
Cameroon  
were signed,N E 6 2 / 1 2 2 C
Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion C 221/27
H. whereas the E U has applied, as from 1 January 2008, the import arran gemen t to products orig inating in 
the 
ACP States which in itialled 
EPAs 
or steppin g 
stone 
EPAs, 
as provided for in  
these agreements
(1) Council Reg ulation (EC) No 1528/2007 of 20 Decemb er 2007 applyin g the arrangements for products orig inating in
certain 
states which are part of the African , 
Caribbean 
and 
Pacific (ACP) Group of States provided for in  
agreements 
estab­
lishing, 
or leading 
to the estab lishment 
of, Economic 
Partnership 
Agreem
ents 
(OJ L 348, 31.12.2007, p. 1.) (1),
I. whereas 
the African  
and 
the Pacific reg ions 
are continuing 
negotiation
s with the E uropean 
Union 
with a 
view to the con clusion 
of full EPAs, 
and 
whereas half the ACP States have n ot 
yet initialled 
or signed 
such 
agreements,
J.
 whereas the ACP coun tries
 have voiced con cerns
 over the ‘contentious
 clauses’ contained
 in the initial
 
EPAs 
and 
have requested that these b e 
addressed b efore 
signing,
K. whereas 
all parties have repeatedly main tained 
that the EPAs 
must be 
ins
truments 
of developmen t 
in 
order 
to promote sustain able 
developmen t, 
regional 
integration, 
and 
reduction 
of poverty in  
the ACP States,
L. whereas the adjustmen t 
costs resultin g 
from EPAs 
will have a sig nifican
t impact on  
the developmen t 
of 
ACP coun tries, 
which, whilst difficult to predict precisely, will have a direct impact throug h 
the loss of 
customs duties an d 
an 
indirect 
impact throug h 
the costs in curred 
by 
adaptation  
and 
social support in  
the 
areas of employmen t, 
skills 
enhancement, 
production , 
export diversification  
and 
reform of pub lic 
finan­
cial 
management,
M. whereas 
21 ACP coun tries, 
some of which have n ot 
yet signed 
an 
EPA, 
have allocated specific amoun ts 
for 
the accompan ying 
measures to the E PAs 
in 
their Nation al 
Indicative 
Programmes 
(NIPs) 
for the 10th 
European 
Developmen t 
Fund 
(EDF),
N. whereas 
the developmen t 
impact of E PAs 
on 
ACP States mig ht, 
in 
some insta
nces 
temporarily, result in :
—the 
reduction 
of net 
customs reven ues 
and 
its effect on  
the budgets 
of the ACP States, 
—regional 
integration 
problems 
among 
the ACP reg ional 
blocs 
due to the in i
tialling 
of interim 
agree­
ments, 
which may hin der 
the necessary 
creation 
of a framework  
for integrat
ed economic 
develop­
ment 
that can 
contribute 
to economic 
growth 
in 
the ACP States, 
—the improvemen t 
of the supply to ACP coun t
ries’ economies
, and 
provision 
to customers, of imported 
EU 
products, 
—growing 
exports to the E U 
from ACP coun tries 
through,
 inter-alia, improved Rules of Orig in, 
which 
would con tribute 
to economic 
growth, 
more employmen t 
and 
increased 
state reven ue, 
which could 
be 
used to fun d 
social measures, 
—regional 
integration 
in 
the ACP reg ions, 
which has the capacity to improve the framework  
for eco­
nomic 
developmen t 
and 
would therefore con tribute 
to economic 
growth,
 
—the successful use of fin ancing 
for Aid for Trade in  
connection 
with the E PAs,
 
—the implemen tation 
of reform an d 
response 
measures in  
the ACP coun tries, 
in 
particular as reg ards 
public 
finance 
management, 
collection  
of customs duties an d 
the establis
hment 
of a new 
tax revenue 
system,
O. whereas 
the trade in side 
and 
between 
ACP regions 
and 
between 
ACP coun tri
es and 
other developin g 
coun­
tries 
(South-South trade cooperation ) 
can 
have importan t 
positive effects on  
the developmen t 
of ACP 
countries,N E 9 0 0 2 . 9 . 4 1
Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 14.9.2009
P. whereas on e stated aim of the Coton ou Agreement is to make EPAs instrumen ts for promotin g sustain­
able 
developmen t, 
eradicatin g 
poverty, g radually 
integrating 
the econo
mies of the ACP reg ions 
into 
the 
world econ omy 
and 
enhancing 
regional 
integration,
Q. whereas 
the Presiden t 
of the European 
Commission , 
José Manuel 
Barroso, stated at the E U-Africa 
summit, 
held in 
Lisbon 
in 
December 
2007, that there would b e 
an ‘
opportunity 
to revise the provision s 
of the Eco­
nomic 
Partnership 
Agreements 
signed 
by 
the two parties over the past few mon ths
’,
R. whereas the in habitants 
of the ACP coun tries 
are the most affected b y 
the global 
financial 
and 
food crisis 
and 
it is more vital than  
ever that every effort b e 
made to achieve the MDGs,
1. Urges 
the EU 
Member 
States to respect their commitmen ts 
to increase 
Official Developmen t 
Aid (ODA) 
to help meet deman ds 
for trade-related capacity b uilding, 
which will en ab
le accompan ying 
measures to 
be 
established 
in 
the form of reg ional 
Aid for Trade pack ages 
for the implemen tation 
of the EPAs 
with a 
view to their positive impact on  
developmen t; 
stresses the fact that sig ni
ng 
an 
EPA 
is not 
imposed as a 
precondition 
for receivin g 
Aid for Trade fun ds;
2. Insists 
that EPAs 
are an 
instrument 
for developmen t 
which should reflect b oth 
the national 
and 
regional 
interests 
and 
the needs 
of the ACP coun tries, 
in 
order to reduce poverty, achieve the MDGs an d 
ensure 
respect 
for fundamental 
human 
rights 
such as the rig ht 
to food an d 
the right 
to access b asic 
public 
ser­
vices; urges 
the Council, 
the Commission  
and 
the governments 
of the EU 
Member States an d 
ACP coun ­
tries 
to do their utmost to re-estab lish 
an 
atmosphere of trust, mutual respect an d 
security in sofar 
as this 
has been 
damaged 
in 
the course of n egotiations;
3. a) Reminds 
the EU 
institutions 
and 
governments 
that neither 
the conclus
ion 
nor 
the renunciation 
of an 
EPA 
should lead to a situation  
where an 
ACP coun try 
may find 
itself in a less favourab le 
position 
than 
it 
was under 
the trade provision s 
of the Coton ou 
Agreement;
b) Urges 
the European 
Union 
to provide sufficien t 
and 
predictable 
resources, in  
addition 
to those un der 
the 
European 
Developmen t 
Fund, 
to cover the cost of adjustmen ts, 
bolster 
supply-side capacity an d 
strengthen
 infrastructure,
 regulatory
 capacity, competitiven ess
 and
 national
 and
 regional
 
inter-connectivity;
c) Urges 
the European 
Union 
also not 
to tie the release of fun ds 
under 
the 10th E DF 
or Aid for Trade to 
the signing 
of a full E PA;
4. Stresses 
that WTO compatib ility 
as defined 
by 
Article XXI V 
of GATT pertain s 
only 
to trade in  
goods 
and 
requires ‘
a substantial 
part of the trade’ to b e 
liberalised ‘
within 
a reasonable 
length 
of time’, an d 
urges 
the 
Council 
and 
Commission  
to accept an y 
goods-only 
WTO compatib le 
proposals from ACP coun tries;
5. Urges 
the ACP coun tries 
and 
the European 
Commission  
to make 
best 
use of the fun ding 
available 
for Aid 
for Trade in  
order to support the reform process in  
areas essen tial 
for economic developmen t; 
to improve 
infrastructure 
where it is n ecessary 
to benefit 
more effectively from the opportun ities 
offered by 
the EPAs; 
to 
compensate 
for the net 
loss of customs reven ue 
and 
encourage 
tax reform so that pub lic 
investments 
in 
social sectors are n ot 
reduced; to in vest 
in 
the production  
chain 
in 
order to diversify export production ; 
and 
to produce more, an d 
more added value, export g oods;
6. Reiterates 
its view that E PAs 
must be 
funded 
not 
by 
the EDF 
but 
by 
additional aid for trade, to which the 
EU 
committed itself in  
2005, namely 
EUR 
2 billion 
annually, 
starting 
in 
2010, 50 % of which would g o 
to 
ACP coun tries; 
opposes an y 
kind 
of conditionality 
linked 
to EPAs 
in 
the matter of g ranting 
European 
aid, 
and 
calls on 
the Commission  
to guarantee 
that access to fun ds 
under 
the 10th E DF 
is kept 
separate 
from the outcome an d 
pace of the n egotiations;N E 8 2 / 1 2 2 C
Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion C 221/29
7. Stresses that the in creases in ODA promised b y the Memb er States should, as a priority, b e used to 
redouble 
efforts to attain  
the Millen nium 
Developmen t 
Goals in 
those ACP coun tries 
which are hardest 
hit by 
the consequences 
of the global 
financial 
and 
food crisis, which has threaten ed, 
and 
continues 
seri­
ously to threaten , 
the success achieved towards attain ing 
those goals;
8. Also 
underlines 
that all ag reements 
must respect the asymmetry in  
favour of the ACP coun tries 
regarding 
both 
the range 
of products targ eted 
and 
the transition 
periods, an d 
that the EPAs 
must provide firm g uar­
antees 
of protection  
for those sectors which the ACP coun tries 
identify 
as sensitive;
9. Notes 
with alarm that the E C 
is concluding 
a deal on 
bananas 
with most favoured n ation 
suppliers in  
Latin 
America 
that will threaten  
the viability 
of the ACP b anana 
industry 
and 
in 
particular the sustain ed 
eco­
nomic
 and
 social developmen t
 of small vuln erable
 economies;
 calls on the European Commission to 
ensure 
that measures are tak en 
to safeguard 
the livelihoods of small b anan
a farmers, who are the most 
vulnerable;
10. Stresses 
that support measures lin ked 
to the EPAs 
should tak e 
into 
account 
the importan ce, 
for the devel­
opment
 of the ACP coun tries,
 of regional
 integration
 and
 economic
 relations
 with other developin g
 
countries;
11 a) Urges 
the Commission  
to allow the ACP coun tries 
to renegotiate 
conten
tious clauses b efore 
signing 
the 
comprehen sive 
regional 
agreements, 
to give 
ACP nego
tiators sufficien t 
time to evaluate the ag ree­
ments, 
to make 
suggestions 
before 
they are adopted an d 
to offer them advice on  
any 
matters the ACP 
negotiators 
deem appropriate; stresses in  
particular the importan ce 
of reflectin g 
the concerns 
of the 
partner
 countries
 and
 their parliamen ts,
 local authorities an d
 civil society in the framework of the 
negotiations 
on 
full EPAs, 
which should n ot 
be 
concluded 
under 
pressure or in  
haste;
b) Calls 
on 
the European 
Commission  
to hold full con sultations 
with the ACP Group, in  
accordance 
with 
Article 12 of the Coton ou 
Agreement, 
before 
entering 
into 
any 
commitmen t 
liable 
to adversely affect 
the economic 
integration 
of the ACP reg ions 
or ACP-EU 
trade relation s;
12. Stresses 
that EPA 
agreements 
should incorporate 
a clause providin g 
for revision  
five years after their sig ­
nature,
 with the formal in volvement
 of nation al
 parliamen ts,
 the Europea
n Parliamen t
 and
 non-state
 
actors, as well as stron ger
 monitoring
 and
 evaluation provision s,
 making
 it possib le
 to determin e
 the 
impact of the E PA 
on 
country 
and 
regional 
developmen t 
and 
poverty reduction  
objectives 
– not 
merely 
EPA 
compliance 
levels – an d 
provide for a redress mechan ism 
to allow for the amen dment 
or repeal of 
any 
aspect of the E PA 
that undermines 
a process of reg ional 
integration 
or damages 
chances 
of reducin g 
poverty 
or achievin g 
the MDGs;
13. a) Urges 
the ACP g overnments 
to implemen t 
necessary 
reforms in  
order to pursue their efforts towards 
good 
governance, 
in 
particular in  
the field of pub lic 
administration, 
such as in  
public 
financial 
man­
agement, 
the collection  
of customs duties, the tax reven ue 
system an d 
the fight 
against 
corruption  
and 
mismanagement;
b) Calls 
for the active participation  
of all stak eholders, 
and 
in 
particular g overnments 
and 
parliamen ­
tarians, 
in 
the negotiation 
process, an d 
for the increased 
involvement 
of civil society with a view to 
reaching 
a regional 
consensus 
prior to the sig ning 
of a full E PA;
14. Stresses 
that there is a n eed 
to increase 
transparency 
in 
the negotiations 
and 
their outcomes in  
order to 
allow for pub lic 
scrutiny 
by 
policy mak ers, 
parliamen tarians 
and 
civil society represen tatives;
15.
 Urges
 the institutions
 and
 governments
 of the EU
 Member
 States to do their utmost to re-estab lish
 an 
atmosphere of con fidence 
and 
trust in 
so far as it has b een 
damaged 
in 
the course of n egotiations;N E 9 0 0 2 . 9 . 4 1
C 221/30 EN Official Journ alof the EuropeanUnion 14.9.2009
16. Stresses that the implemen tation of the EPAs should be monitored by a parliamen tary body, which has to 
be 
provided for in  
the EPA 
texts, and 
that this parliamen tary 
body 
should, in  
each case, evolve from the 
ACP-EU 
Joint 
Parliamen tary 
Assembly 
(JPA) and 
its bodies 
and 
remain 
closely con nected 
to, or part of, 
the JPA in  
order to tak e 
due accoun t 
of the impact of the E PAs 
on 
the economies 
of the ACP coun tries, 
as 
established 
in 
the Coton ou 
Partnership 
Agreement;
17. Stresses 
in 
particular the crucial role of n ational 
parliamen ts 
and 
no
n-state 
actors in 
the monitoring 
and 
control 
of EPAs 
and 
calls for their systematic in volvement 
in 
the on-going 
negotiation 
procedures; this 
requires a clear ag enda 
for further n egotiations, 
to be 
agreed 
by 
ACP coun t
ries and 
the EU 
and 
based 
on 
a 
participatory approach;
18. Recommen ds 
that the European 
Parliamen t 
wait for the opin ions 
of the ACP parliamen ts 
on 
the outcomes 
of the EPA 
negotiations 
wherever possib le 
and 
that it tak e 
these into 
account 
before 
issuing 
its assent;
19. a) Considers 
that the EDF 
Regional 
Strategy 
Papers and 
Regional 
Indica
tive Programmes 
should con tain 
important, 
systematic an d 
well considered 
support for E PA 
implemen tatio
n, 
taking 
into 
account 
the 
necessary 
reform process that would mak e 
the EPA 
a success;
b) Insists 
that documen tation 
on 
full EPAs 
must take 
into 
account 
any 
projected loss of reven ue 
revealed 
by 
impact studies at the level of each reg ion 
and 
each ACP coun try, 
and 
that provision  
be 
made for 
their renegotiation, 
where necessary;
c)
 Requests that the ACP reg ions
 organise
 workshops
 on EDF
 Regional
 Strategy
 Papers an d
 regional
 
indicative 
programmes 
as swiftly as possib le, 
in 
order to assess their impact on  
the implemen tation 
of 
EPAs;
d) Calls 
on 
the European 
Union 
and 
the ACP States to en sure 
that EPAs 
are respon sive 
to the curren t 
global 
crisis, in 
order to reduce the impact on  
the ACP States of the slowdown  
in 
the world econ omy;
20. Emphasises 
that the sig ning 
of interim 
agreements 
by 
ACP States must n o
t hinder 
the possib ility 
of ACP 
regions 
concluding 
with the E U 
full EPAs 
that take 
into 
account 
the developmen t 
dimension 
and 
steps to 
integrate 
the regional 
economies, 
and 
which stren gthen 
cooperation  
betw
een 
the ACP States an d 
the EU 
Member 
States;
21. Stresses ag ain 
the need 
to identify 
sensitive 
goods 
that should n ot 
form the sub ject 
of trade lib eralisation;
22. Highlights 
the need 
to restore trust b etween 
the ACP coun tries 
and 
the EU 
countries, 
which was shak en 
during 
the EPA 
negotiations, 
in 
the spirit of the partn ership 
that binds 
them;
23. Instructs 
its Co-Presiden ts 
to forward this resolution  
to the ACP-E U 
Council 
of Ministers, 
the European 
Parliamen t, 
the European 
Commission , 
the EU Coun ci
l Presidency, 
the African  
Union, 
the Pan-African 
Par­
liament, 
national 
and 
regional 
parliamen ts 
and 
the ACP reg ional 
organisa
tions.