Minutes of the sitting of Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Date: 2012-10-12
Institutions: ACP–EU Joint Assembly
Subjects: European Parliament, parliamentary debate








C_2012309EN.01000801.xml










12.10.2012   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 309/8





MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 30 MAY 2012
2012/C 309/03
Contents






1.

Urgent Topic: The situation in Nigeria









2.

Statement by Alva Baptiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation (Saint Lucia), President-in-Office of the ACP Council









3.

Statement by Christian Friis Bach, Minister for Development Cooperation (Denmark), President-in-Office of the EU Council









4.

Question Time to the Council









5.

Debate with the Council – catch-the-eye









6.


Challenges and opportunities of urban development in ACP cities
Exchange of views with Aisa Kacyira, Deputy Executive Director of UN-HABITAT
Debate without resolution










7.

Approval of the minutes of Monday, 28 May 2012, and Tuesday, 29 May 2012









8.

Vote on the motions for resolution contained in the reports presented by the three standing committees









9.

Vote on the urgent motion for a resolution









10.

Vote on the declaration









11.

Vote on the amendments to the JPA Rules of Procedure









12.

Any other business









13.

Date and place of the 24th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly









Annex I

Alphabetic list of members of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly









Annex II

Record of attendance at the 23rd session from 28 to 30 May in Horsens (Denmark)









Annex III

Accreditation of non-parliamentary delegates









Annex IV

Texts adopted









—

Resolution on the political impact of the Libyan conflict on neighbouring ACP and EU States (ACP-EU/101.157/fin)









—

Resolution on price volatility, the functioning of global markets for agricultural products and their impact on food security in ACP countries (ACP-UE/101.149/fin.)









—

Resolution on the social and environmental impact of mining in the ACP countries (ACP-EU/101.156/fin.)









—

Resolution on the situation in Nigeria with regard to security (ACP-EU/101.170/fin)









—

Declaration on the reform of European fisheries policy and its impact on ACP countries (ACP-EU/101.154)




MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 30 MAY 2012


(The sitting opened at 9.00 a.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Musikari KOMBO

Co-President

1.   Urgent Topic: The situation in Nigeria

José Costa Pereira (EEAS) introduced the debate.
Speakers: Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroun), Filip Kaczmarek, Zita Gurmai, Assarid Ag. Imbarcaouane (Mali), Olle Schmidt, Abdourahamane Chegou (Niger), Peter Šťastný, Mohammed Mukhtar Ahmed (Nigeria), Catherine Bearder, Mariya Nedelcheva and Anna Zaborska.
The 10th EDF supports the justice sector reforms and the fight against corruption, drug trafficking and organised crime. The Boko Haram problem has to be framed in the context of a poorer North facing growing desertification and requires concrete, long-term solutions. Violence is spreading with possible regional implications.
2.   Statement by Alva Baptiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation (Saint Lucia), President-in-Office of the ACP Council

Alva Baptiste praised Denmark's cooperation policy. He informed the Assembly that the ACP-EU Joint Council of Ministers in Vanuatu would discuss ‧differentiation‧ and ‧graduation countries‧ under DCI and stated that the criteria should include vulnerability to climate change disasters, high indebtedness or remoteness. He commended the 10th EDF review mechanism and recalled that the ACP States were committed to agree on EPAs, but that more time would be required for the negotiations.
3.   Statement by Christian Friis Bach, Minister for Development Cooperation (Denmark), President-in-Office of the EU Council

Christian Friis Bach informed the Assembly about the new Danish strategy for development. He stressed that, although 2011 had been a difficult year, the European Union remained committed to the MDGs. The EU Council had welcomed the Commission's Communication on Increasing the Impact of Agenda for Change and was looking forward to the Rio+20 United Nations Conference. EPA negotiations must be completed soon.
4.   Question Time to the Council

Alva Baptiste responded to the following questions and supplementary questions:






 


Question No 2 by Olle Schmidt on task force on political prisoners.










 


Question No 4 by Filip Kaczmarek on population ageing in developing countries.










 


Question No 5 by Catherine Bearder on illegal ivory trade and CITES.




Christian Friis Bach responded to the following questions and supplementary questions:






 


Question No 12 by Patrice Tirolien on Public Development Aid (PDA) target.










 


Question No 13 by Fiona Hall (replaced by Olle Schmidt) on EDF budgetarisation.










 


Question No 8 by Olle Schmidt on EU citizens held as hostages in third countries.










 


Question No 10 by Horst Schnellhardt on preventing famine crisis in the Sahel region.










 


Question No 9 by Michael Cashman (replaced by Derek Vaughan) on the ratification of the second revision of the Cotonou Agreement.










 


Question No 11 by Filip Kaczmarek on population ageing in developing countries.










 


Question No 14 by Zita Gurmai on European strategy for the post-MDG (Millennium Development Goals) negotiations and the inclusion of disabled persons.










 


Question No 16 by Catherine Bearder on illegal ivory trade and CITES.




The authors of questions No 2, 4, 5 9 and 11 had no supplementary questions.
The authors of questions No 1, 3, 6, 7 and 15 were not present.
5.   Debate with the Council – catch-the-eye

Speakers: Cornelius T. Mwalwanda (Malawi), Musa Hussein Naib (Eritrea), Amadou Ciré Sall (Senegal), Anna Zaborska, Denis Polisi (Rwanda), Sithembile Mlotshwa (Zimbabwe), Ibrahim Bundu (Sierra Leone) and Rose Francine Rogombe (Gabon).
Alva Baptiste and Christian Friis Bach responded to the questions on subjects as varied as: access to energy, the new Danish cooperation programme, respect for human rights in the EU, EPA negotiations, development programmes on sexual reproductive health, sanctions on Zimbabwe and a possible fact-finding mission by the JPA to this country, weaknesses in the fight against malaria and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
6.   Challenges and opportunities of urban development in ACP cities

Exchange of views with Aisa Kacyira, Deputy Executive Director of UN-HABITAT
Debate without resolution
Speakers: Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroun), Maurice Ponga, Musa Hussein Naib (Eritrea), Jutta Haug, Emmanuel Kwasi Bandua (Ghana), Olle Schmidt, Carlos Manuel (Mozambique), Mohammed Mukhtar Ahmed (Nigeria), Adjedoue Weidou (Tchad), Anne Rose Akol (Uganda) and Co-President Louis Michel.
Aisa Kacyira made a presentation on the challenges and opportunities of urban development in ACP cities. The number of people living in slums had reduced over the past years but ACP states were urbanising much faster than the rest of the world, with serious implications in terms of the provision of water, electricity, transport and other basic services. Issues related to strategic urban planning, urban governance, decentralisation and land tenure mechanisms were brought up.

(The sitting adjourned at 12.50 p.m. and resumed at 3.00 p.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Louis MICHEL

Co-President

7.   Approval of the minutes of Monday, 28 May 2012, and Tuesday, 29 May 2012

The minutes were approved.
8.   Vote on the motions for resolution contained in the reports presented by the three standing committees

The Co-President reminded the Assembly of the voting procedures.






—


The political impact of the Libyan conflict on neighbouring ACP and EU States (ACP-EU/101.157/fin.)
Committee on Political Affairs
Report by Assarid Imbarcouane (Mali) and David Casa
Amendments adopted: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
A vote by separate houses was requested by the PPE on recital Y and the recital was rejected.
The resolution thus amended was adopted unanimously.










—


Price volatility, the functioning of global markets for agricultural products and their impact on food security in ACP countries (ACP-EU/101.149/fin.)
Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade
Report by Cornelius T. Mwalwanda (Malawi) and David Martin
The resolution was adopted unanimously.










—


The social and environmental impact of mining in ACP countries (ACP-EU/101.056/fin.)
Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment
Report by Job Ndugai (Tanzania) and Michèle Rivasi
Amendments adopted: 1, 2.
A vote by separate houses was requested by the PPE on paragraph 2 and the paragraph was rejected.
A vote by separate houses was requested by the PPE on paragraph 4 and the paragraph was adopted.
The resolution thus amended was adopted unanimously.




9.   Vote on the urgent motion for a resolution







—


Motion for a resolution on the situation in Nigeria with regard to security (ACP-EU/101.170/fin.)
Amendments adopted: 2, 3, 5.
Amendments rejected: 1, 4, 6.
A vote by separate houses was requested by the PPE on paragraph 9 and the paragraph was rejected.
A vote by separate houses was requested by the PPE on paragraph 10 and the paragraph was rejected.
The resolution thus amended was adopted unanimously.




10.   Vote on the declaration







—


Declaration on the reform of European fisheries policy and its impact on ACP countries (ACP-EU/101.154/fin.)
The declaration was adopted by acclamation.




11.   Vote on the amendments to the JPA Rules of Procedure

Musikari Kombo (Co-President) formally requested on behalf of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly that the vote should be postponed so that the content of the amendments could be better analysed. The two Co-Presidents agreed to postpone the vote.
12.   Any other business

None.
13.   Date and place of the 24th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly

The 24th session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly would be held in Suriname from 26 to 28 November 2012. The Co-Presidents would organise the practical arrangements on the basis of the parliamentary principles of the Assembly and ensuring that the concerns and positions of all parties are fully taken into account.
Michael Gahler stressed the position of the European Members.
The Co-President thanked the Danish authorities for their commitment in the organisation of the session, the exceptional welcome, the quality of the infrastructure and the high-level political participation.

(The sitting closed at 3.20 p.m.)



Musikari KOMBO, EGH
Louis MICHEL

Co-Presidents



Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS and
Luis Marco AGUIRIANO NALDA

Co Secretaries-General





ANNEX I

ALPHABETICAL LIST OF THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY








ACP representatives




EP representatives





KOMBO EGH, (KENYA), Co-President


MICHEL, Co-President




ANGOLA


ALFONSI




ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA


ALVES




BAHAMAS


BAUER




BARBADOS


BEARDER




BELIZE


BOVÉ




BENIN


BULLMANN




BOTSWANA


CALLANAN




BURKINA FASO


CARVALHO




BURUNDI


CASA




CAMEROON (VP)


CASINI




CAPE VERDE


CASPARY




CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC


CASTEX




CHAD


CHRISTENSEN




COMOROS


COELHO




CONGO (Democratic Republic of the)


DE KEYSER




CONGO (Republic of the) (VP)


DE MITA




COOK ISLANDS


DE SARNEZ




CÔTE D’IVOIRE


DELVAUX




DJIBOUTI (VP)


DURANT




DOMINICA


ENGEL




DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (VP)


ESTARÀS FERRAGUT




EQUATORIAL GUINEA


FERREIRA, Elisa




ERITREA


FERREIRA, João




ETHIOPIA


FORD




FIJI


GAHLER




GABON


GOERENS (VP)




GAMBIA


GRIESBECK




GHANA


GUERRERO SALOM




GRENADA (VP)


HALL




GUINEA


HÄNDEL




GUINEA-BISSAU


HANNAN




GUYANA


HAUG




HAITI


JENSEN




JAMAICA


JOLY




KIRIBATI


KACZMAREK




LESOTHO


KLASS (VP)




LIBERIA


KORHOLA




MADAGASCAR


KUHN




MALAWI (VP)


KURSKI




MALI


LE PEN




MARSHALL ISLANDS (Republic of the)


LEGUTKO




MAURITANIA (VP)


LÓPEZ AGUILAR




MAURITIUS (VP)


LÖVIN




MICRONESIA (Federal States of)


MANDERS




MOZAMBIQUE (VP)


MARTIN




NAMIBIA


MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ




NAURU


MATO ADROVER




NIGER (VP)


MAYER




NIGERIA


McMILLAN-SCOTT




NIUE


MITCHELL




PALAU


MOREIRA




PAPUA NEW GUINEA


NEDELCHEVA




RWANDA


NEUSER




SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS


NICHOLSON (VP)




SAINT LUCIA


OMARJEE (VP)




SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES


OUZKÝ (VP)




SAMOA (VP)


RIVASI (VP)




SÃO TOMÉ AND PRÍNCIPE


ROITHOVÁ (VP)




SENEGAL


RONZULLI (VP)




SEYCHELLES


SCHLYTER




SIERRA LEONE


SCHMIDT




SOLOMON ISLANDS


SCHNELLHARDT




SOMALIA


SCICLUNA




SOUTH AFRICA


SCOTTÀ




SUDAN


SENYSZYN




SURINAME


SPERONI (VP)




SWAZILAND


ŠŤASTNÝ (VP)




TANZANIA


STRIFFLER




TIMOR-LESTE


STURDY




TOGO


TIROLIEN




TONGA


TOIA




TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO


VAUGHAN (VP)




TUVALU


VLASÁK




UGANDA


WIELAND




VANUATU (VP)


ZANICCHI




ZAMBIA


ZIMMER




ZIMBABWE


 








COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL AFFAIRS








ACP Members




EP Members





TAMAPUA (SAMOA), Co-Chair


CASA, Co-C




MNKANDHLA(ZIMBABWE), VC


KORHOLA, VC




ROGOMBE (GABON), VC


CASTEX, VC




ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA


ALFONSI




YEHOUETOME (BENIN)


CALLANAN




CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC


CASINI




IBOVI (CONGO, Republic of the)


DE KEYSER




COTE D'IVOIRE


DURANT




ATEYE (DJIBOUTI)


FERREIRA, Elisa




NAIB(ERITREA)


GAHLER




DABA (ETHIOPIA)


GRIESBECK




KUBUABOLA (FIJI)


HANNAN




GUINEA


HÄNDEL




SEERAJ (GUYANA)


KACZMAREK




DESRAS (HAITI)


LE PEN




JACKSON (JAMAICA)


LÓPEZ AGUILAR




KIRIBATI


MANDERS




KOLLIE (LIBERIA)


MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ




IMBARCAOUANE (MALI)


MOREIRA




SITHOLE (MOZAMBIQUE)


NEDELCHEVA




PALAU


NICHOLSON




TOZAKA (SOLOMON ISLANDS)


ROITHOVÁ




SLATER (ST VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES)


SCHMIDT




MAPHIKE (SWAZILAND)


SPERONI




KLASSOU (TOGO)


STRIFFLER




OULANYAH (UGANDA)


WIELAND








COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FINANCE AND TRADE








ACP Members




EP Members





SALL (SENEGAL), Co-Chair


CARVALHO, Co-Chair




BUTUSOL (VANUATU), VC


LEGUTKO, VC




VAN DER WALT (NAMIBIA), VC


ALVES, VC




DE SOUSA MENDES DO SANTOS (ANGOLA)


 




THOMPSON (BARBADOS)


BOVÉ




KUTEKALA KAAWA (CONGO, Democratic Republic of the)


BULLMANN




BANDUA (GHANA)


CASPARY




EQUATORIAL GUINEA


ENGEL




LOBOSO (KENYA)


FORD




MWALWANDA (MALAWI)


GOERENS




MARSHAL ISLANDS


GUERRERO SALOM




OULD GUELAYE (MAURITANIA)


JENSEN




DEERPALSING (MAURITIUS)


KUHN




MUKHTAR AHMED (NIGERIA)


MARTIN




POLISI (RWANDA)


MATO ADROVER




SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS


MAYER




RAYMOND (SAINT LUCIA)


McMILLAN-SCOTT




SAO TOMÉ AND PRINCIPE


MICHEL




POOL (SEYCHELLES)


MITCHELL




BUNDU (SIERRA LEONE)


OMARJEE




DIKWENI (SOUTH AFRICA)


SCHLYTER




MOHAMMED AHMED (SUDAN)


SCICLUNA




PARMESSAR (SURINAME)


ŠŤASTNÝ




TAINE (TONGA)


STURDY




SEEMUNGAL (TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO)


TIROLIEN




LATASI (TUVALU)


ZANICCHI








COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AFFAIRS AND THE ENVIRONMENT








ACP Members




EP Members





NDUGAI (TANZANIA), Co-Chair


RIVASI, Co-Chair




WEIDOU (CHAD), VC


BAUER, VC




NOEL (GRENADA), VC


SCHNELLARDT, VC




BAHAMAS


BEARDER




BELIZE


CHRISTENSEN




GABORONE (BOTSWANA)


COELHO




SANOU (BURKINA FASO)


DELVAUX




KARERWA (BURUNDI)


DE MITA




HAMATOUKOUR (CAMEROON)


DE SARNEZ




CAPE VERDE


ESTARÀS FERRAGUT




COMOROS ISLANDS


FERREIRA, João




MARSTERS (COOK ISLANDS)


HALL




DOMINICA


HAUG




JÍMENEZ (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)


JOLY




BALDEH (GAMBIA)


KLASS




GUINEA-BISSAU


KURSKI




MAPHIKE (LESOTHO)


LÖVIN




RAKOTOARIVELO (MADAGASCAR)


NEUSER




MICRONESIA (Federal States of)


OUZKÝ




NAURU


RONZULLI




CHEGOU (NIGER)


SCOTTÀ




TAGELAGI (NIUE)


SENYSZYN




PAPUA NEW GUINEA


TOIA




SOMALIA


VAUGHAN




EAST TIMOR


VLASÁK




KAKOMA (ZAMBIA)


ZIMMER







ANNEX II

RECORD OF ATTENDANCE AT THE SESSION FROM 28 TO 30 MAY


IN HORSENS (DENMARK)







KOMBO, EGH (Kenya), Co-President


MICHEL, Co-President




DOS SANTOS (Angola)
THOMPSON (Barbados)
YEHOUETOME (Benin)
GABORONE (Botswana)
SANOU (Burkina Faso)
NTISEZERANA (Burundi) (VP)
HAMATOUKOUR (Cameroon) (VP)
NGON-BABA (Central African Republic)
WEIDOU (Chad)
MWANDO NSIMBA (Congo, Democratic Republic of the)
IBOVI (Congo, Republic of the) (VP)
MARSTERS (Cook Islands)
SOUBANEH ATTEYE (Djibouti) (VP)
JIMÉNEZ (Dominican Republic) (VP)
NAIB (Eritrea)
DABA WAKJIRA (Ethiopia)
VOCEA (Fiji) (1)

ROGOMBE (Gabon)
BALDEH (Gambia)
BANDUA (Ghana)
NOEL (Grenada) (VP)
SEERAJ (Guyana)
DESRAS (Haiti)
JACKSON (Jamaica)
LABOSO (Kenya)
MAPHIKE (Lesotho)
KOLLIE (Liberia) (VP)
RAKOTOARIVELO (Madagascar) (1)

BANDA (Malawi) (VP)
ASSARID IMBARCAOUANE (Mali)
OULD GUELAYE (Mauritania) (VP)
DEERPALSING (Mauritius) (VP)
SITHOLE (Mozambique) (VP)
VAN DER WALT (Namibia)
CHEGOU (Niger) (VP)
AHMED (Nigeria)
TAGELAGI (Niue)
POLISI (Rwanda) (VP)
RAYMOND (Saint Lucia)
SLATER (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
TAMAPUA (Samoa) (VP)
SALL (Senegal)
POOL (Seychelles)
BUNDU (Sierra Leone)
TOSAKA (Solomon Islands)
MUSA (Sudan)
PARMESSAR (Suriname)
GAMEDZE (Swaziland)
NDUGAI (Tanzania) (VP)
KLASSOU (Togo)
TAIONE (Tonga)
SEEMUNGAL (Trinidad and Tobago)
LATASI (Tuvalu)
OULANYAH (Uganda)
BUTUSOL (Vanuatu) (VP)
KAKOMA (Zambia)
MNKANDHLA (Zimbabwe)


BAUER (2), (3)

BEARDER
CASTEX (2), (3)

CHRISTENSEN (2), (3)

DE KEYSER (2)

DE SARNEZ
ENGEL
FERREIRA, João (2), (3)

GAHLER
GRIESBECK
GUERRERO SALOM (2), (3)

GURMAI (for FERREIRA, E.)
HALL (2)

HAUG
KACZMAREK
KORHOLA (3), (4)

LÓPEZ AGUILAR (3), (4)

MARTIN
MAYER
MITCHELL
NEDELCHEVA
NEUSER
PONGA (for DE MITA)
RINALDI (for GOERENS) (2)

SCHMIDT
SCHNELLHARDT
SCHNIEBER-JASTRAM (for KLASS) (2), (3)

SCICLUNA (3), (4)

SPERONI (VP) (2), (3)

ŠŤASTNÝ (VP)
TIROLIEN
VAUGHAN (VP)
ZÁBORSKÁ (for STRIFFLER)





OBSERVERS:






CUBA

REGUEIFEROS LINARES





Also present:


ANGOLA

CALUNGA
CUANGA
DA CARVALHO
ORNELAS

BARBADOS

BRATHWAITE

BENIN

DAYORI
HOUNGNIGBO

BOTSWANA

MANGOLE
MOTSHOME

BURKINA FASO

OUEDRAOGO
OUOBA NABA

BURUNDI

HAVYARIMANA
KARERWA
NIJEBARIKO

CAMEROON

AWUDU MBAYA
DAOUDA
GBERI
OWONA KONO

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

DOTE

CHAD

ADJI
AFFONO
DINGAOMAIBE
MOGNANGAR
TEKILIO MAHAMAT

CONGO, Republic of the

BOUYA
GANGA
IBARA
LOGUELE

CONGO, Democratic Republic of the

APALA PEN'APALA LUTUNDULA
BASIALA MAKA
IYOLO
KUTEKALA KAAWA
NKONGO

DJIBOUTI

SAID

ETHIOPIA

BEYENE
DABA
GIBO

FIJI

KUBUABOLA

GABON

MAGONGA
MANGOUALA
MILEBOU

GAMBIA

KEBBEH
SILLAH

GHANA

ANTWI

HAITI

BENOIT
JOHN
LEBON

KENYA

AFFEY

LIBERIA

BARCLAY
DUNAH

MADAGASCAR

RAJERISOLO

MALAWI

BANDA
KATOPOLA
NDISALE
CHITEYEYE
MAKANDE

MALI

HAIDOU

MAURITANIA

ABDELLA
BILAL
GUELADIO
OULD HAMOUD
OULD ZAMEL

MOZAMBIQUE

MALENDZA
MANUEL

NAMIBIA

NAHOLO

NIGER

FOUKORI
MAINA
OUSMANE
TONDY

NIGERIA

BURAIMO
HAMZA
IBRAHIM
LAR
MADWATTE
NSIEGBE
OKORIE
UZODIMMA

SEYCHELLES

JEANNEVOL

SIERRA LEONE

TORTO

SOUTH AFRICA

DIKWENI

SUDAN

ABDEL MAGID AAMIRE
ABEL HALIM
AHMED
HASSAN
MULAH

SURINAME

GAJADIEN
TARNADI

TANZANIA

MWANJELWA
ZUNGU

TOGO

GBONE

UGANDA

AKOL
BIHANDE-BWAMBALE
OKUONZI

ZIMBABWE

HLONGWANE
MLOTSHWA

ACP COUNCIL

BAPTISTE, Minister for External Affairs, International Trade and Civil Aviation, President-in-Office of the ACP Council.

EU COUNCIL

FRIIS BACH, Minister for Development Cooperation (Denmark), President-in-Office of the EU Council

COMMITTEE OF ACP AMBASSADORS

SKERRIT-ANDREW

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

HEDEGAARD, Member of the Commission with responsibility for Climate action
PIEBALGS, Member of the Commission with responsibility for development
DE GUCHT, Member of the Commission with responsibility for international trade

EEAS

COSTA PEREIRA

EESC

KING

AU

IGUEH OFLEH

COMESA

NGWENYA
NKANAGU

ACP SECRETARIAT

CHAMBAS, Co-Secretary-General

EU SECRETARIAT

AGUIRIANO NALDA, Co-Secretary-General


(1)  Country represented by a person who is not a parliamentarian.

(2)  Present on 28 May 2012

(3)  Present on 29 May 2012

(4)  Present on 30 May 2012



ANNEX III
ANNEX TO THE SITTING OF MONDAY, 28 MAY 2012
Accreditation of non-parliamentary delegates
Fiji
H.E. Mr. Peceli V. VOCEA
Ambassador of Fiji
Brussels
Head of Delegation
Madagascar
Hon. Mamy RAKOTOARIVELO
President of the Transitional Congress
Head of Delegation



ANNEX IV






—


Resolution on the political impact of the Libyan conflict on neighbouring ACP and EU States (ACP-EU/101.157/fin)










—


Resolution on price volatility, the functioning of global markets for agricultural products and their impact on food security in ACP countries (ACP-UE/101.149/fin.)










—


Resolution on the social and environmental impact of mining in the ACP countries (ACP-EU/101.156/fin.)










—


Resolution on the situation in Nigeria with regard to security (ACP-EU/101.170/fin)










—


Declaration on the reform of European fisheries policy and its impact on ACP countries (ACP-EU/101.154)





RESOLUTION (1)

on the political impact of the Libyan conflict on neighbouring ACP and EU States

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,






—


meeting in Horsens (Denmark) from 28 to 30 May 2012,










—


having regard to Article 18(1) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the African Union Assembly’s decision of 25 May 2011‧on the Peaceful Resolution of the Libyan Crisis‧, which recalled that Libya’s African neighbours have borne the brunt of the conflict in Libya, both in terms of security and socio-economic consequences, and stressed that a lasting resolution of the Libyan crisis requires a significant contribution by Africa and the close coordination of all stakeholders,










—


having regard to its resolutions of 18 May 2011‧on the democratic upheavals in North Africa and the Middle East: consequences for the ACP countries, for Europe and for the world‧ (2) and of 23 November 2011‧on the Arab Spring and its impact on neighbouring sub-Saharan states‧ (3),










—


having regard to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols,










—


having regard to UN Security Council resolution 1970 (2011),










—


having regard to the Declaration by the extraordinary European Council of 11 March 2011 (4),










—


having regard to the Council conclusions on Libya of 21 March, 23 May and 18 July 2011 and 23 March 2012;










—


having regard to the Council decision of 21 December 2011 on the unfreezing of Libyan funds (5),










—


having regard to the Joint Communication of 8 March 2011 to the European Council, the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions ‘A Partnership For Democracy And Shared Prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean’ (COM(2011) 200 final),










—


having regard to the Report ‧Holding Libya together: security challenges after Qadhafi‧ by the International Crisis Group of 14 December 2011,










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Political Affairs (ACP-EU/101.157/fin.),










A.


whereas the Arab Spring, including the Libyan revolution, presents an opportunity for the EU to contribute to stability, democracy and prosperity in a region essential to the stability of neighbouring EU and ACP countries; whereas the EU and the ACP have a shared interest in supporting democracy-building in this region;










B.


whereas in spite of the death of Colonel Gaddafi and the fall of his regime, the situation remains fragile in several former strongholds of Gaddafi’s supporters;










C.


whereas it is important to address the humanitarian consequences of the Libyan conflict and the fate of Libyans who are facing difficult circumstances in Libya;










D.


whereas many foreign nationals are being unjustly accused of being mercenaries in the pay of Gaddafi;










E.


whereas NATO and its allies from the international coalition, acting under a UN Security Council Resolution to protect the Libyan civilian population, had not fully considered the collateral humanitarian and security consequences of the fall of the Gaddafi regime for the ACP countries, especially those of the Sahel-Saharan region, at the time they intervened in Libya;










F.


whereas the EU has repeatedly stated its commitment to supporting human rights, civil society and security and political and social reforms aimed at achieving genuine democracy, fighting authoritarian regimes and corruption and ensuring better economic and social conditions in the region;










G.


whereas Amnesty International has reported serious human rights violations in the occupied regions that people had abandoned, since all hospitals that had been ransacked could not even provide the vital minimum access to care;










H.


whereas, while fully respecting the fact that the national transition is essentially a Libyan matter, the EU and its Member States should, in cooperation with the United Nations, increase their efforts to provide the necessary assistance and support to the Libyan people, particularly with regard to the protection of human rights, national conciliation, social justice, support for civil society, education and Demilitarisation Disarmament Reintegration (DDR);










I.


whereas the two sides have expressed their commitment to strengthening relations and cooperation in many areas including security, border management, civil society, healthcare and education;










J.


whereas one of the political consequences of the Libyan conflict for the EU has been a surge in regular and irregular immigration which has put a disproportionate burden on southern Member States of the EU;










K.


whereas migratory flows after the Libyan conflict have been horizontal rather than South-to-North; whereas EU Member States assumed a disproportionately small share of the responsibility to assist, receive and shelter refugees from Libya during the events of 2011 compared to the efforts of neighbouring countries in Africa; whereas the efforts of some EU Member States voluntarily to shoulder a larger share of this responsibility should be recognised and applauded;










L.


whereas the hasty return of ACP migrants to Libya has had economic, social and political consequences for the many families deprived of their main source of income and for the governments of the countries of origin, which are forced to meet the heavy cost of receiving and reintegrating the returnees;










M.


whereas adequate cooperation is lacking between the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the EU in coordinating international action to assist the roughly 5 000 non-Libyan refugees from Libya who are currently still in makeshift camps in Tunisia and Egypt;










N.


whereas the Libyan conflict has given rise to the proliferation, in the Sahel-Saharan region, of huge quantities of arms which, in the hands of the various terrorist and criminal groups and drug traffickers that are rife in this region, poses a serious threat to the security and stability of the entire subregion;










O.


whereas the former combatants returning from Libya with large quantities of arms and munitions are potential recruits for rebel movements, groups affiliated to Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and criminal gangs;










P.


whereas this development, together with the resurgence of Tuareg irredentism in countries such as Mali and Niger, is highly likely to jeopardise the stability and territorial integrity of the countries of the Sahel-Saharan region, especially Mauritania and Burkina Faso;










Q.


whereas it is extremely concerned at the occupation of northern Mali, since, with the support of the Islamist group Ansar Eddine, members of AQIM and other rebels, groups of Tuaregs returning from Libya and claiming to belong to the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA), have launched deadly attacks in several towns, causing numerous civilian and military casualties and the flight of thousands of persons towards neighbouring countries;










R.


whereas during the night of 21-22 March 2012 the President of Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré, was overthrown in a coup which put an end to a long democratic process which had begun more than two decades ago;










S.


whereas the perpetrators of the coup claim it was sparked by the former government’s incompetence in dealing with the Tuareg rebellion;










T.


whereas rebels from the MNLA, Ansar Eddine, AQIM and other rebel groups have occupied the three administrative regions in the north of Mali because of confusion at the head of the state of Mali and a breakdown in the Malian army’s chain of command, and the MNLA has unilaterally declared the independence of this region it calls Azawad, which covers two-thirds of Malian territory;










U.


whereas the worsening security situation has caused the collapse of the tourist sector as well as the slowdown, or even shelving, of development projects under way in several countries in the subregion, thus leaving many young people unemployed whose vulnerability is likely to benefit terrorist or criminal groups;










V.


whereas the enormous size and sparse population of Mali’s territory and its long, ill-defined borders necessitate a good regional coordination of information and action;










W.


whereas the humanitarian and food crisis is worsening, due to the violent attacks by Tuareg rebels, linked to the radical Islamic group AQIM, which have forced 81 000 people to migrate internally and to neighbouring countries (Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso) where a severe drought has caused food and water shortages in recent years;










X.


whereas the famine is spreading outside the occupied area because of the unprecedented situation;










Y.


whereas terrorism in the Sahel needs to be fought partly by means of an active policy to promote development, social justice, the rule of law and integration; whereas it is necessary to hold out to local population groups economic prospects which provide an alternative to the criminal economy;










Z.


whereas the United Nations Security Council has an important role to play in conflict resolution worldwide;










AA.


whereas in view of Libya’s political transition, Libyans should be supported in their attempts to establish a pluralist democracy, without delay and with a constitution drafted following a process of broad-based public consultation;










1.


Recalls the shared responsibility of Member States to relocate beneficiaries of international protection and asylum-seekers displaced to the EU by the Libyan conflict, especially in cases where the host Member State’s asylum system is under significant pressure;










2.


Calls in this context for the formalisation of a system of ‧compulsory and irrevocable solidarity‧ with Member States exposed to specific and disproportionate pressures in the form of intra-EU relocation, together with greater cooperation with Libya;










3.


Calls on the EU and its Member States for adequate funding to be made available for the purposes of intra-EU relocation;










4.


Pays tribute to the UNHCR for its work on behalf of the refugees and displaced persons from the Libyan conflict and calls on it to increase its efforts to ensure the safe and dignified return of migrants and to facilitate the immediate integration of the returnees;










5.


Calls on the international community and the EU in particular to mobilise urgent humanitarian assistance to help the population groups in the north of Mali;










6.


Believes that there is urgent need to support initiatives aimed at strengthening dialogue and increasing the ability of local communities to resist and counter the appeal of terrorism and the recruitment of young people by terrorist and other criminal groups, including through support for youth employment and training;










7.


Calls on the EU and the entire international community to provide the necessary assistance to the affected ACP states to help them set up the structures they need to receive and reintegrate their migrant workers from Libya;










8.


Is concerned at the serious human rights violations, looting and other atrocities committed by the occupying forces against vulnerable civilians, the majority of whom have been forced into exile in neighbouring countries;










9.


Calls on the new Libyan authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of African migrant workers in Libya;










10.


Welcomes the Council decision of 21 December 2011 to unfreeze all the funds and assets of the Central Bank of Libya and the Libyan Arab Foreign Bank held in the EU with a view to supporting the reconstruction of Libya and the recovery of the Libyan economy and assisting the new Libyan authorities;










11.


Calls on the Commission and the Council to speed up the EU’s response capability in the field of integrated border management and support for civil society and the media, as agreed at the international conference in Paris on 2 September 2011;










12.


Welcomes the EU’s response to the Arab Spring and the Libyan conflict, notably the establishment of a ‘Partnership for Democracy and Shared Prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean’ as the main instrument to support states undergoing reform in Europe’s southern neighbourhood;










13.


Condemns the proliferation of arms during the conflict, and the looting of existing arms caches, and calls for an urgent strategy to disarm, demobilise and reintegrate rebel fighters and civilians in a manner that is sensitive to political realities and while underlining that disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration must be a priority for the stabilisation of Libya and its neighbouring region;










14.


Urges the states of the Sahel-Sahara region, the new Libyan authorities and the competent multilateral agencies to take all necessary measures to stop the proliferation of arms in the region and to establish adequate mechanisms to control and secure national borders across the region, including the transfer of small arms and light weapons and implement programmes for collecting and destroying illegal small arms and light weapons, and institute measures for exchanging information and launching joint security operations in the region;










15.


Welcomes the establishment in 2010 of the Joint Staff Operations Committee (CEMOC) by Algeria, Mali, Mauritania and Niger to coordinate the fight against terrorism, organised crime and drug trafficking in the Sahel-Saharan region;










16.


Calls on the United Nations Security Council to adopt an emergency resolution within the framework of peace efforts in the Sahel-Saharan region;










17.


Highlights the extreme poverty and violence experienced by the population groups of northern Mali, which are exacerbating the humanitarian and food crisis;










18.


Condemns strongly the activities of armed gangs in the region, particularly the occupation of northern Mali by rebels from the MNLA, Ansar Dine, AQIM and other groups and calls for their immediate and unconditional withdrawal;










19.


Strongly condemns the coup led by sections of the Malian military and calls for an immediate return to democracy and demands the full implementation of the exit strategy envisaged by ECOWAS and the AU;










20.


Condemns in particular the atrocities committed especially by the occupation forces against the civilian population, which have been directed against women and children more than other victims, and particularly condemns the use of abduction and rape as weapons of war; calls for an inquiry into the atrocities committed in Mali in recent months;










21.


Calls on the EU and its Member States to pay particular attention to the situation of women and girls in the Sahel region and to take all necessary measures to ensure their protection from every type of violence and from violations of their human rights;










22.


Re-affirms its commitment to the consolidation of democracy and the territorial integrity of the countries affected by the Libyan conflict;










23.


Emphasises the need for the new Libyan authorities to apply the standards of international law; calls therefore on the EU to provide resources and assistance to Libya for this purpose, which would help establish greater legal certainty and secure humanitarian aid for the victims of the conflict;










24.


Emphatically rejects the MNLA’s declaration of independence of the north of Mali, and considers it null and void; stresses its commitment to the unity and territorial integrity of Mali;










25.


Welcomes the initiatives taken by ECOWAS to bring peace to the north of Mali and remove all obstacles preventing the full sovereignty of Mali over this region; invites the international community also to back these initiatives and to take the relevant measures to alleviate the collateral effects of the Libyan conflict in neighbouring countries, particularly with regard to the commitment of NATO and its allies from the international coalition that fought in Libya;










26.


Is alarmed at the agreement concluded between the MNLA and the Islamist movement Ansar Dine to create an Islamic state in northern Mali, and calls upon the African Union and the European Union to develop a short, medium and long term strategy to put an end to the occupation of northern Mali by these illegal armed forces;










27.


Calls on the international community in general, and the EU in particular, to step up their cooperation with the countries of the Sahel-Saharan region and with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the fight against terrorism and organised crime in the sub-region, especially by increasing the resources available to the Joint Staff Operations Committee (CEMOC) in its mission to secure the Sahel-Saharan strip;










28.


Calls on the European Union and its Member States to support efforts to boost the capacities of the states in the region and to mobilise all available resources to protect the people and promote security and development in the region in cooperation with the states in the region and the inter-state organisations ECOWAS and WAEMU;










29.


Hopes that a European Security Defence Policy (ESDP) mission will help the countries in the subregion control their borders more effectively and particularly to combat trafficking in arms, drugs and human beings;










30.


Calls on the countries of the region to put in place measures to encourage exchanges of security information, in particular in relation to arms seizures, through existing information exchange systems such as those used by the AU’s African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism, INTERPOL and the United Nations;










31.


Underlines that the introduction of a new constitution or legal framework for Libya must respect fundamental human rights;










32.


Invites the new Libyan Government to extend cooperation to ECOWAS in order to take all necessary measures to resist attacks from criminal terrorist groups linked to AQIM supporting the Tuareg rebellion in the north of Mali;










33.


Calls on the EU to support the Libyan interim authorities in their efforts to achieve an inclusive transition from conflict to peace-building in Libya and calls on the National Transitional Council to pursue a broad-based reconciliation process which reaches out to all Libyans and enables a democratic, peaceful and transparent transition to take place in that country;










34.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the European Parliament, to the ACP-EU Council of Ministers, to the European Commission, to the institutions of the African Union and to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.






RESOLUTION (6)

on price volatility, the functioning of global markets for agricultural products and their impact on food security in ACP countries

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,






—


meeting in Horsens (Denmark) from 28 to 30 May 2012,










—


having regard to Article 18(1) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 and revised in 2005 and 2010,










—


having regard to the UN Millennium Declaration of 8 September 2000, which sets out the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as objectives established jointly by the international community for the elimination of poverty and hunger, and in particular to MDG1 on the principle of the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger,










—


having regard to the Food Aid Convention signed in London on 13 April 1999, whose objectives are to contribute to world food security and to improve the ability of the international community to respond to emergency food situations and other food needs of developing countries,










—


having regard to the FAO ‘Voluntary guidelines to support the progressive realisation of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security’,










—


having regard to the Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security signed in 2003, in which African governments committed themselves to allocate a minimum of 10 % of their annual national budgets to agriculture,










—


having regard to the ‘EU land policy guidelines’ of November 2004,










—


having regard to the 7th Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council of 22 May 2008 in Geneva, on ‘the negative impact on the realisation of the right to food of the worsening of the world food crisis, caused inter alia by the soaring food prices’,










—


having regard to the L’Aquila Joint Statement on Global Food Security adopted on 10 July 2009,










—


having regard to the UN Social Protection Floor Initiative,










—


having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 13 January 2009 on the Common Agricultural Policy and Global Food Security,










—


having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2009 on the FAO Summit and food security,










—


having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on ‘An EU policy framework to assist developing countries in addressing food security challenges’ (COM(2010)0127) adopted on 31 March 2010 and to the Council Conclusions adopted on 10 May 2010,










—


having regard to its resolution on food security, adopted in Kinshasa on 4 December 2010,










—


having regard to the eight recommendations to the G20 published by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to food on 29 January 2011,










—


having regard to the Inter-Agency report, coordinated by the FAO and the OECD, to the G20 on ‘Price Volatility in Food and Agricultural Markets: Policy Responses’ of 2 June 2011,










—


having regard to the report of the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition on ‘Price volatility and food security’ of July 2011,










—


having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 27 September 2011 on assisting developing countries in addressing food security challenges,










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade (ACP-EU/101.149/fin),










A.


whereas according to the FAO the number of people suffering from hunger amounted to 925 million in 2010;










B.


whereas only 62 out of 118 developing countries are on track to achieve the MDG1 target and 29 countries in the world are currently facing food supply difficulties and are in need of external food assistance;










C.


whereas global demand for agricultural products is expected to increase by 70 to 100 % by 2050 by which time the world’s population is expected to reach 9 billion;










D.


whereas food insecurity, the reason behind hunger riots, which may bring about problems of collective security on a global scale, is further exacerbated by issues of land ownership, the lack of appropriate agricultural policies, land degradation, climate change, land tenure insecurity, demand for agro-fuels and energy-related policies, speculation on commodities as well as food prices rising artificially for the main part and as a result of speculation;










E.


whereas there has been a month-on-month rise in food prices since August 2010, with levels now higher than during the food price peak of 2008;










F.


whereas the World Bank’s August 2011 Food Price Watch report states that high and volatile global food prices are putting the poorest people in the developing world at risk and are contributing to the emergency in the Horn of Africa;










G.


whereas volatile commodity prices affect not only consumers but also producers, making it extremely difficult for ACP farmers to plan the production and marketing of their produce; whereas the share of farmers’ incomes from the food supply chain has substantially dropped, while the profits of processors and retailers have constantly increased;










H.


whereas soil fertility is dropping to alarming levels across many areas, leading to reduced yields and overexploitation of exhausted soils; and whereas the scientific evidence shows that it is possible to restore soil fertility, increase yields, buffer farms against extreme weather, enhance biodiversity, and diversify and increase smallholder incomes by using agro-ecological systems that combine crops with trees and livestock;










I.


whereas there has been a dramatic reduction in the level of development aid allocated to agriculture since the 1980s, falling to as little as 3,8 % of Official Development Aid (ODA); whereas the share of public spending on agriculture has also fallen to an average of 7 % in developing countries;










J.


whereas most African governments have raised concerns that the benefits of world trade liberalization tend to be minimal in Sub-Saharan Africa due to the premature exposure of upcoming agricultural industries to genuine competition from producers in developing and developed countries and that the opening up of the market should be gradual, rather than sudden;










K.


whereas increased acquisition of land, mainly by foreign investors, has made ACP countries’ precarious agricultural and food systems even more vulnerable;










L.


whereas agriculture outputs have increasingly been used for biofuels, thus linking the volatility of oil markets to the volatility of commodity markets and contributing to food price rises and to food insecurity;










M.


whereas financial speculation and the increased liberalisation of financial markets and trade in agricultural products greatly contribute to price volatility; whereas derivative instruments based on food and agricultural commodity markets have become extremely popular and easily accessible for investors around the globe and are no longer niche instruments for professional investors;










1.


Recalls that access to adequate food is a universal human right; urges all countries to implement the FAO voluntary guidelines on the right to food;










2.


Emphasizes that political stability is also a necessary condition for development and thus improved food security, and calls on all parties involved to show the political will needed to guarantee that stability;






Agriculture and ‘land-grabbing’








3.


Calls for a greater percentage of EU ODA to be directed to agriculture and rural development in ACP countries in order to boost food security; urges the international community to meet the L’Aquila summit commitments to deliver USD 22 billion to support developing countries’ farmers and fight hunger, of which only one fifth has been delivered so far;










4.


Considers that significant contributions from the ACP governments are also needed to fill the wide investment gap in rural development in these countries, so that an integrated agricultural system that enables self-sufficiency can evolve;










5.


Believes that small farming can offer a response to the challenge of food security and calls on the EU to stop subsidised exports which destabilise peasant farming in developing countries and to increase its aid and support in favour of sustainable smallholders, sustainable peasants and medium-scale agricultural producers which are the main support of food security;










6.


Underlines the fundamental role of women and youth in food and nutrition security and in agriculture production; calls on the European Commission and on the ACP governments to invest in programmes which specifically support women and young smallholders (e.g. education and training programmes on sustainable and environmentally-friendly agriculture; facilitated access to loans and non-profit micro-credit);










7.


Stresses that it is crucial to involve smallholders and local agricultural organisations in the implementation of an agricultural policy in the ACP countries, and that the EU should strive to work with and strengthen smallholder and other local associations, so as to ensure that the interests of local communities are protected;










8.


Emphasises the need for increased public investment in research for sustainable agro-ecological production systems involving crops, trees and livestock and calls on the EU and ACP countries to develop joint research, training and scaling-up capacities in sustainable farming methods and new technologies, notably through public-private partnerships and joint ventures;










9.


Expresses deep concern regarding the large-scale land acquisitions that are currently being carried out by foreign investors in developing countries, which is also to the detriment of local smallholder and medium-scale farmers; calls on the EU to encourage governments of ACP countries to commit to land reform in order to secure the land titles of indigenous farmers and small and medium-sized farmers, especially women, and to prevent ‘land-grabbing’ practices by corporations;










10.


Calls on the ACP States to review their land policies with a view to identifying and designating certain areas as agricultural areas, taking due account of the issues linked to land utilisation and management;










11.


Calls on the European Commission to facilitate an independent assessment of the impact of trade liberalisation policies on agricultural land being increasingly used to serve exporting agribusinesses rather than to meet the national food needs of developing countries, and to make concrete proposals to tackle this phenomenon and the resulting problems such as large-scale ‘land-grabbing’ and the rapid erosion of food security;










12.


Calls on the European Commission to update its land policy guidelines with regard to ‘land-grabbing’ and to come forward with measures to improve reporting and monitoring on large-scale land acquisitions involving European investors;






Financial market speculation on commodity markets








13.


Considers that transparency on global agricultural markets should be substantially enhanced; in this sense, commends the establishment of AMIS (Agricultural Market Information System) called for by the G20 agriculture ministers with the aim of addressing food price volatility through more timely, accurate and transparent information on global food markets;










14.


Calls on the UN and the G20 to intensify their efforts to agree to global regulation to put an end to speculation in agricultural commodities and to coordinate the creation of preventive mechanisms against the excessive fluctuation of global food prices;










15.


Calls for the clear identification of the actors involved in trade in the food and agricultural commodity markets and for an in-depth analysis of transmission mechanisms of speculation on food products on local and world markets; urges all relevant players to jointly establish an international mechanism aimed at monitoring trading activity in commodity and agricultural derivatives;










16.


Emphasises that access to markets is the largest hurdle that smallholders and medium-sized farmers have to overcome in ACP states and that there is an urgent need to remove unfavourable trade regimes and barriers to trade, especially those that hinder ACP exports to the markets in developed states;










17.


Believes that current trade policies, particularly agricultural subsidies in rich countries and export restrictions during crises, must be reviewed to limit the effects of food price volatility; underlines the EU commitment to gradually phase out export subsidies, in parallel with similar measures being taken by its WTO partners; calls on the EU to further improve coordination of its development and trade policies;










18.


Underlines that enhanced regional trade can establish food security and provide producers with a more stable market environment;










19.


Calls for the elimination of distorting fiscal incentives and subsidies in support of biofuels which would result in biofuels being produced only where it is economically feasible to do so, thus limiting the impact of biofuels production on food security;










20.


Considers it necessary to strike the right balance between the objectives of food security and energy goals; calls on the EU to study the impact of its strategic goals in the field of biofuels on food security and to revise them based on the results of this impact study;










21.


Encourages ACP governments to explore or reinforce measures to mitigate the consequences of price volatility, for instance, by providing poor people with subsidised food or cash through flexible safety nets;










22.


Calls for the increase, better management and storage of physical grain and emergency food reserves at national and regional level and a strengthening of international coordination and monitoring of prices and stocks, thereby countering food price volatility and enabling a better and faster response to food crises;










23.


Calls on the EU and the ACP countries to help preserve, improve and promote local seed varieties that are often more suited to the needs of the local population and the climatic conditions of developing countries, to ensure the right of farmers to reproduce their own seeds, and prevent intellectual property rules enabling these seeds to be grabbed by anyone;










24.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, the European Commission, the EU Council Presidency, the FAO and the G20.






RESOLUTION (7)

on the social and environmental impact of mining in the ACP countries

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,






—


meeting in Horsens (Denmark) from 28 to 30 May 2012,










—


having regard to Article 18(1) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the ACP-EC Partnership Agreement (‘Cotonou Agreement’) and in particular to Article 8(4) on non-discrimination,










—


having regard to the UN Global Compact and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises which articulate principles of responsible business conduct,










—


having regard to the 2005 International Labour Organisation (ILO) Global Initiative for Eliminating Child Labour in Mining and Quarrying,










—


having regard to the Africa Mining Vision adopted by the African Union Heads of State in February 2009,










—


having regard to the Brussels Declaration on the Sustainable Development and Management of the Mineral Resources Industry of the ACP States (ACP/89/008/10) adopted at the 1st Meeting of ACP Ministers in charge of the Mineral Resources Industry held from 13 to 15 December 2010, in Brussels, Belgium,










—


having regard to the scope and activities of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) International Panel on the sustainable management of natural resources,










—


having regard to the study of the International Labour Organization on ‘Child labour in gold mining: The problem’ (June 2006),










—


having regard to the EP resolution of 15 December 2010 on the future of the EU-Africa strategic partnership following the 3rd EU-Africa Summit (P7_TA(2010)0482),










—


having regard to the EP resolution on an effective raw materials strategy for Europe (P7_TA(2011)0364),










—


having regard to the EP resolution of 25 November 2010 on corporate social responsibility in international trade agreements (P7_TA(2010)0446),










—


having regard to the African Trade Policy Centre study on Mineral Exploitation, Environmental Sustainability and Sustainable Development in EAC, SADC and ECOWAS Regions (2009),










—


having regard to the United Nations Experts Group report on Natural Resources and Conflict in Africa: Transforming a Peace Liability into a Peace Asset (2006),










—


having regard to the UN resolutions on blood diamonds, in particular to UN Security Council resolution 1459 (2003) on the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme,










—


having regard to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, adopted in 1998,










—


having regard to Directive 2006/21/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 March 2006 on the management of waste from extractive industries,










—


having regard to the principle of Policy Coherence for Development as formulated in the Treaty of Lisbon (Art. 208 TFEU) and the legal PCD obligation to consult ACP countries (Article 12 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement),










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment (ACP-EU/101.156/fin.),










A.


whereas, according to UNCTAD, non-renewable mineral resources are classified in three categories: energy minerals such as oil, gas, uranium and coal; metallic minerals such as copper, cobalt and bauxite; and non-metallic minerals such as precious stones (diamonds);










B.


whereas most ACP countries, particularly in Africa, are endowed with abundant mineral resources such as metals, oil, diamonds, gold, iron, cobalt, uranium, copper, bauxite and silver, but despite this wealth the majority of the population lives in poverty;










C.


whereas most minerals are exported in bulk ore or concentrates or metals without much added value in the ACP producing countries;










D.


whereas the opacity and confidentiality of the mining contracts or agreements have contributed to the manipulation of weak States and the overriding of parliamentary scrutiny;










E.


whereas, in the absence of governments with an awareness of the problem and their associated responsibilities in regulating and controlling the mining sector, mining companies’ activities in ACP countries have significantly damaged local environmental, social and health conditions;










F.


whereas mining activities by governments, domestic and transnationally owned companies have led to land-grabbing, displacing indigenous peoples and limiting the scope for the local population to ensure food security through agricultural activities;










G.


whereas mining causes severe physical and psychological health issues, leading to critically high mortality among miners;










H.


whereas revenues from illegal mining are known to fuel internal conflicts; whereas the illegal exploitation of natural resources in conflict-prone and conflict-ridden countries continues to be one of the causes of conflicts and their recurrence, such as in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Liberia;










I.


whereas the 2010 study requested by the European Parliament’s Development Committee on the possible use of radioactivity-contaminated mining materials in the construction of residential homes from open-pit uranium mines in Gabon and Niger indicates that substantial problems exist in these countries with respect to the operation of the uranium mines and the safety of mines for the local population; whereas this study criticises a lack of transparency regarding company data on radioactive pollution and, in one case, claims that radioactive materials have been used for construction and that water sources and soil around the mining villages have been affected;










J.


whereas child labour is still widely practised in small mining operations in particular, and these activities expose children to serious risk of injury, exposure to toxic chemicals or death; whereas previous initiatives by the relevant governments have often failed to have the desired effects;










K.


whereas the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) - a voluntary body composed of mining companies - underlines the importance of transparency by governments and companies in the extractive industries and the need to enhance public financial management and accountability;










L.


whereas from the 1990s to 2008 world production of 14 major minerals grew from 1 million to about 2.5 million tonnes; whereas global demand is expected to increase significantly as the population will reach 9 billion by 2050 in a context of growth, urbanization and consumption patterns; whereas demand for copper, iron ore and aluminium is expected to double over the next 15 - 20 years;










M.


whereas the African Trade Policy Centre concluded that ‘many mining companies keep most of their earnings in offshore accounts, leaving very little in local accounts to cover local operating costs’;










N.


whereas the concentration of people in small scale mining areas results in poor sanitation, leading to epidemics of malaria, dysentery and other diseases; whereas the increase in migrant labour to these areas has been associated with an increase in prostitution, that has inevitably led to increased teenage pregnancies, single parenting, and sexually transmitted diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS, such as in Ghana and in Togo (ILO 2006);










1.


Expresses its deep concern that despite the fact that many developing countries, particularly African countries are endowed with rich mineral resources, the current trade pattern, whereby developing countries export raw materials and buy manufactured products from industrialised countries, and national economic structures and development strategies of the countries concerned have made no contribution to combating poverty;










2.


Calls on ACP-EU governments to put an end to the ‘resource curse’ and put the abundant mineral resources of ACP countries, particularly in Africa, at the heart of their development strategy to benefit the entire population, instead of enriching investors and elites without benefiting ordinary citizens;










3.


Calls on ACP countries to examine existing contracts for compliance with international standards on the sustainable use of national resources in the public interest, to offer investment incentives and to make existing tax systems more efficient, to comprehensively fight corruption in state administrations and supervisory authorities, and to invest the profits gained from the export of resources in the development of the country concerned (infrastructure, social system, manufacturing industry, etc.);










4.


Urges ACP countries to deploy skilled and experienced experts when negotiating mineral contracts with mining companies;










5.


Stresses the important role that national parliaments and civil society organisations can play in overseeing mining agreements or contracts with a view to assuming their responsibility vis-à-vis their citizens, breaking the culture of secrecy and fighting corruption at all levels; calls on ACP governments to meet their obligations to provide information to national parliaments and to include local decision-makers and representatives of civil society in decision-making processes in relation to the use of national resources;










6.


Stresses the need for strong, transparent and enforceable legislative and regulatory frameworks governing the mineral resources industry in ACP countries; calls on ACP countries’ governments and parliaments to enact policies and regulate foreign direct investment (FDI) in the public interest, in consultation with civil society, in a way that provides a stable legal environment which encourages foreign direct investment, benefits the local economy, creates domestic added value and fosters development;










7.


Calls on the ACP governments to put an end to the massive financial outflows from their countries, given that illicit financial outflows from Africa, including tax evasion, are estimated at $865 billion from 1970 to 2008, according to Global Financial Integrity (GFI);










8.


Insists on addressing the issue of money laundering, which according to the Director of the Intergovernmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), represents EUR337 billion in West Africa alone, including a significant amount through tax evasion, while the 10th European Development Fund for ACP countries amounts to EUR 22 682 million, covering five years (2008-2013);










9.


Insists, in this context, on the need to create, or highlight and defend quality public services, particularly in combating capital flight, money laundering and tax evasion, as a means of combating illicit profits from the income generated by mining;










10.


Welcomes the discussions at European level in relation to the establishment of a European transparency initiative, the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on annual financial statements, consolidated financial statements and related reports of certain types of undertakings, which were triggered by the Dodd Frank Act, obliging all oil, gas and mining companies listed in the USA to publish what they pay to government and to report the use of conflict minerals; calls on all international partners to work to introduce similar requirements;










11.


Welcomes the European Commission’s proposals to amend the Transparency and Accounting Directives requiring EU publicly-listed companies as well as large unlisted companies active in the extractive industry and the logging of primary forests to report on a country-and-project basis the payments they make to local, regional and national governments in third countries; urges the European Commission to come forward with EU legislative proposals comparable to section 1502 of the Dodd Frank Act, which requires US companies sourcing minerals from the DRC and surrounding areas to exercise due diligence in their supply chains;










12.


Calls on ACP and EU governments, in their respective capacity, to present a legislative proposal on the automatic disclosure of transnational corporations’ profit and tax payments in each individual developing country in order to bring an end to tax havens, tax evasion and illicit capital flights;










13.


Stresses that ACP countries should ensure that mining licences should include legally-binding provisions for social and environmental standards; calls on the EU to include obligations and duties for foreign investors operating in developing countries, to respect human rights, environmental and ILO core labour standards; considers that companies active in third countries should be legally bound by the same rights and obligations as in their home countries;










14.


Points out that artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) can play a vital role in local life, providing employment and incomes to a large number of people; calls on ACP countries to regulate this sector, legislate against the use of internationally banned toxic substances such as mercury and cyanide, and provide safe working conditions for Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners by facilitating access to micro credits to equip themselves with healthy and environmentally-friendly technologies and to respect their human rights;










15.


Recalls that child labour is still widely practised in small mining operations in particular, and that these activities expose children to serious risk of injury, exposure to toxic chemicals or death; stresses the need for information campaigns dealing with the health risks to children from working conditions in small mining operations; urgently calls on the ACP countries and development partner countries, including the European Union, to implement initiatives to combat child labour;










16.


Calls on ACP governments to take the necessary steps to ensure that mining waste is managed in such a way that human health is not put at risk and no potential environmentally harmful processes or methods are used and in order to prohibit the uncontrolled dumping or disposal of waste;










17.


Urges development partners, including the European Union, to provide technical assistance to ACP mining countries to assess the past and present environmental and social impact of mining activities, to establish accountability for environmental and health damage at all levels, to compensate victims and rehabilitate the ecosystem according to the ‘polluter pays’ principle; stresses the need to place the protection of wildlife and environmental concerns above commercial concerns when it comes to mining and urges ACP countries to think twice before granting prospecting licences in areas which are home to rare or endangered wildlife, for example the Virunga national park in Uganda;










18.


Recalls that the European Union finances programmes designed to maintain biodiversity in the ACP countries, for example in the context of the tenth and the upcoming eleventh European Development Fund, the aims of which are counteracted by the establishment of oil extraction and mining undertakings in the areas designated for protection; calls on the relevant ACP governments to undertake to comply with national environmental legislation and international conventions;










19.


Regrets that mining activities sometimes lead to land-grabbing, resulting in the eviction of people from their original land; insists that mining companies provide resettlement and relocation plans when this is the case and do not abandon shafts/pits, without rehabilitating them;










20.


Emphasises that community land rights, in their various forms (individual or collective) should be recognised by law to protect community members and provide adequate protection in case of investment in mining or other sectors;










21.


Calls on ACP countries and EU member States to work toward the banning of toxic substances prohibited at international level in mining and to participate in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee mandated to develop a global legally binding instrument on mercury under the auspices of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP);










22.


Encourages ACP countries to establish or strengthen national agencies for science, technology and innovation together with the monitoring capacity to promote green technologies and know-how in exploration and mining;










23.


Underlines the importance of the EU’s raw materials policy taking fully into account sustainable economic growth in the developing countries (as enshrined in Article 208 TFEU) and ensuring consistency between development policy and the RMI; believes therefore that the EU should also support developing countries in diversifying their economies, reducing their dependency on raw materials exports and increasing the value of their products through domestic manufacturing and processing;










24.


Urges EU and ACP governments to address the issue of child labour, as it represents a high risk for children working at a very early age in dangerous environments, mostly lacking basic rights and protection;










25.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the African Union, the Pan-African Parliament, and the UN Human Rights Council.






RESOLUTION (8)

on the situation in Nigeria with regard to security

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly,






—


meeting in Horsens (Denmark) from 28 to 30 May 2012,










—


having regard to Article 18(2) of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to its previous resolutions,










—


having regard to its previous resolutions on human rights violations in Nigeria,










—


having regard to its resolution on the situation in West Africa of 21 March 2001 and particularly the paragraphs concerning Nigeria,










—


having regard to the statements by Vice-President/High Representative Ashton of 26 December 2011 on the Christmas Day bombings and of 22 January 2012 on the bombings in Kano, Nigeria,










—


having regard to the statement by the UN Security Council of 27 December 2011 on the attacks in Nigeria,










—


having regard to the Nigeria-EU Ministerial Meeting of 8 February 2012 in Abuja,










—


having regard to the second revision of the Cotonou Agreement 2007-2013, ratified by Nigeria on 27 September 2010,










—


having regard to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and in particular its provisions on the protection of freedom of religion in its Chapter IV – Right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion,










—


having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966, ratified by Nigeria on 29 October 1993,










—


having regard to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights of 1981, ratified by Nigeria on 22 June 1983,










—


having regard to the UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination based on Religion or Belief of 1981,










—


having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,










A.


whereas the violence inflicted by the Boko Haram group, a radical Islamist group, has caused the death of several hundreds of innocent people, including Muslims, Christians and people of other religions;










B.


whereas the fundamentalist Islamic sect popularly called Boko Haram became prominent in 2009 in the wake of violent clashes between this shadowy group and the Nigerian police;










C.


whereas this sect is known to preach against what it perceives as the corrupting influence of Western education and to advocate the introduction of Sharia or Islamic law in the country;










D.


whereas this militant group is presumed to draw its membership largely from itinerant Quranic students (Almajirai), political thugs and other young people who have been led astray;










E.


whereas several recent reports indicate a possible connection between Boko Haram and Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI) and Al-Shabaab in Somalia, which could pose a serious threat to peace and security in the Sahel region and West Africa, as recent events in Mali have demonstrated;










F.


whereas the link with these terrorist groups and collaboration in logistics and training are considered to have been contributing factors in the deadly attacks launched by the Boko Haram sect in Nigeria;










G.


whereas the length of Nigeria’s borders poses a major security challenge and has made it difficult to control trafficking in small arms and light weapons over the years, as evidenced over the past decade by acts of armed banditry on the highways of North Eastern Nigeria committed by suspected former rebels from Chad and Niger;










H.


whereas Nigeria's political and ethnic stability has repercussions beyond its borders, owing to the country's leading role in the region and in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole;










I.


whereas the Boko Haram crisis is currently the worst security challenge facing Nigeria, further compounded by the proliferation of small arms, particularly following the ousting of Gaddafi’s regime in Libya;










J.


whereas freedom of religion, belief, conscience and thought is a fundamental and universal value, as well as an essential element of democracy;










K.


whereas, in response to the upsurge in violence, President Goodluck Jonathan, on 31 December 2011, declared a state of emergency in some northern Local Government Areas and temporarily closed borders with Chad, Cameroon and Niger;










L.


whereas the group suffered a major setback and went underground following the death of its leader and many followers are in the hands of the police;










M.


whereas the militant sect regrouped and resurfaced in 2011 with deadly attacks against local politicians and security forces in the north-eastern part of the country and the atrocities quickly spread to many parts of Northern Nigeria;










N.


whereas Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the deadly attacks, including those on 20 January in Kano, where 185 people were killed, and for the 2011 Christmas Day church bombings that killed 40 people;










O.


whereas Boko Haram has set on fire more than a dozen schools in the north since last March;










P.


whereas sophisticated weapons and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are increasingly deployed by the sect to cause mayhem and large-scale destruction of public and private property, triggering fear and panic among the population;










Q.


whereas human rights organisations have documented the involvement of Boko Haram in attacks on police stations, military facilities, security offices, mosques, churches, schools, and banks, as well as in a suicide bomb attack at the UN headquarters, which killed at least 24 people and injured over one hundred others;










R.


whereas suicide bombings, a new phenomenon in the country, are now frequent, with lethal consequences;










S.


whereas the death toll from the violence unleashed by the Boko Haram onslaught and the counter-measure operations by the Joint Security Task Force (JTF) has reached at least 1 500 to date;










T.


whereas unclaimed attacks have also taken place in Nigeria since the beginning of the year, adding to the climate of violence;










U.


whereas the security forces have so far not been able to stop the violent campaign of Boko Haram;










V.


whereas few prominent members of Boko Haram have been arrested and detained by security agencies;










W.


whereas the possibility of dialogue and negotiation between the Federal Government and the sect is being explored;










X.


whereas it is believed that Boko Haram is no longer a homogeneous group and this is now being exploited by criminal elements involved in bank robberies, kidnappings and political assassinations;










Y.


whereas most Nigerians are resolved to live together as one indivisible entity;










Z.


whereas there is no underlying conflict between Muslims and Christians in the country;










AA.


whereas, although Nigeria is one of the world's largest oil producers and exporters, approximately 60 per cent of the population lived on less than USD 1 per day in 2011; whereas the endemic corruption, all-pervasive poverty and the absence of mechanisms for the redistribution of wealth are blamed for the general insecurity in the country and have created an environment for extremist groups to recruit unemployed youth, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts also implies fair access to resources and the fair redistribution of revenues;










BB.


whereas rising unemployment has made young people vulnerable to indoctrination, manipulation and recruitment by fundamentalist Islamic groups such as Boko Haram;










CC.


whereas Nigeria’s national parliament, in acknowledgement of the threat to national security posed by violent insurgency, promulgated the Anti-Terrorism Act in 2011;










DD.


whereas national security received the largest ever amount of funding under the 2012 federal budget of Nigeria;










EE.


whereas, on 12 November 2009 the European Commission and the Federal government of Nigeria signed the Nigeria-EU Country Strategy Paper and the National Indicative Programme for 2008-2013, under which the EU will fund projects whose aims include the promotion of peace, security and human rights;










1.


Strongly condemns the recent violence – in particular the attacks carried out by the fundamentalist Islamic sect Boko Haram – and the tragic loss of life in the affected regions of Nigeria, and expresses its condolences to the bereaved and sympathy to the injured;










2.


Calls on the Boko Haram sect to lay down its arms in order to create a conducive atmosphere for dialogue and negotiation with the Government;










3.


Urges the Government urgently to disarm all persons and groups in illegal possession of firearms in the country;










4.


Urges all communities to exercise restraint and seek peaceful means to resolve differences between religious and ethnic groups in Nigeria;










5.


Reiterates its concern regarding the full and effective respect of the right to freedom of religion for all religious minorities in Nigeria; stresses in this context that freedom of worship is but one aspect of the right to freedom of religion, which includes also the freedom to change one's religion and to manifest it in teaching, practice and observance at the individual, collective, private, public and institutional level;










6.


Encourages the government of Nigeria to step up its efforts to end the violence as quickly as possible, to guarantee the security and protection of its population and respect for human rights and to prevent by all possible means any further attacks, to continue to encourage inter-faith dialogue and to enhance freedom of thought, conscience and religion; acknowledges the need for the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) to intensify its efforts to promote inter-religious harmony, dialogue and peace;










7.


Calls upon the authorities to continue to conduct an investigation into the causes of the most recent violence and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice in a fair and transparent manner;










8.


Emphasises the importance of an independent, impartial and accessible judicial system to enhance respect for the rule of law and for the fundamental rights of the population;










9.


Calls upon the Government of Nigeria to intensify the fight against corruption, poverty and inequality and to strengthen social, political and economic reforms that respect human rights, which also requires the fair and equitable distribution of resources and wealth;










10.


Calls on donor agencies to join the Government of Nigeria in creating jobs for the very large number of unemployed young people in the country;










11.


Welcomes the impending pilot project of the Nigerian Government to introduce in all schools, whatever their character, the basic educational elements of democracy, the rule of law, pluralism and tolerance;










12.


Regrets the deaths of British citizen Chris McManus and Italian citizen Franco Lamolinara – two engineers working for an Italian construction company who had been held hostage for 10 months in Northern Nigeria – during a failed rescue attempt on 8 March 2012 and extends its condolences to their families;










13.


Calls on the international community, particularly the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to support Nigeria in its efforts to address the threats of terrorism, the proliferation of light weapons and trans-border crimes by equipping and training the personnel of security agencies in effective intelligence gathering and in the fight against modern terrorism;










14.


Acknowledges the collaboration with – and support given by – the European Union, the United States and other international actors to Nigeria in its determined efforts to fight terrorism;










15.


Encourages greater regional cooperation for addressing the threat posed by a possible connection between Boko Haram and AQMI; encourages the countries in the region to deepen their cooperation, including through the relevant regional organisations, in order to prevent synergies between Boko Haram and AQMI, and to secure Nigeria's land and sea borders against infiltration by armed groups; calls on the EU institutions and the Member States to lend their support to these regional efforts;










16.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this Resolution to the ACP-EU Council of Ministers, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the African Union.






DECLARATION (9)

on the reform of European fisheries policy and its impact on ACP countries






A.


The EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), governing the fisheries policy of EU Member States in Community waters, including the external dimension to this policy, is being reviewed and is expected to be finalised in 2013.










B.


Within the EU Common Fisheries Policy, the Fisheries Partnership Agreements and RFMOs provide the main political framework for ACP–EU fisheries relations. At present, the EU has 21 Fisheries Partnership Agreements, of which 15 are in force. Eleven are tuna FPAs and four are multi-species FPAs (Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Morocco and Greenland).










C.


The coastal eco-systems of tropical countries, such as ACP countries’ EEZs, are among the richest in fisheries resources. This wealth of resources is attractive to all distant-water fishing nations, including EU Members States.










D.


The external fleet of the countries of the EU currently consists of more than 700 vessels, and only about half of them are involved in Fisheries Partnership Agreements, the other half operating under private licensing arrangements. Another 400 or so vessels of EU origin operate under joint ventures established in third countries, including ACP countries. Fisheries agreements now cover less than 0,5 % of the activities of EU fleets, and fish caught under FPAs accounts for approximately 3 % of total supplies of fish to the EU market, while imports from ACP countries represent around 10 % of EU fish imports.










E.


It should also be recalled that European markets depend for more than 60 % on imports, of which ACP countries represent around 10 %, and 68 % of ACP countries’ fish exports are currently destined for the EU market.










F.


In current fisheries agreements, the proportionality between fishing capacities negotiated and the amount of financial contribution extended to the sector has led ACP governments to grant unsustainable levels of fishing access. It has also led to some ACP countries receiving more funding than they are able to absorb, or not enough funding compared to their needs.










G.


In the past, some ACP groups of countries (in the Pacific, the Indian Ocean or West Africa) have proposed to negotiate fisheries access agreements on a regional basis. The European Commission, however, has traditionally favoured bilateral agreements. In the current proposal this remains the case, although some steps are proposed to establish greater consistency between the regional and bilateral approaches of EU external policy, by ‘linking together EU bilateral interests in a given region under an integrated regional approach’.










H.


In its communication on the external dimension, the European Commission states that it will ‘launch a high-level political initiative to discuss the avenues for capacity reduction on a global level by 2013. Such an initiative would take into account the aspirations of the developing states and be consistent with the CFP reform which will propose rights-based management as one of the main mechanisms to achieve capacity reduction’.










1.


Calls on the EU to ensure that all the components of fisheries relations with developing countries contribute to sustainable fisheries. To this end, the EU should develop sustainable fisheries development partnerships, whose main objective should be to create a favourable environment, in the third developing country concerned, for environmentally, socially and economically sustainable operations;










2.


Calls on the EU to ensure that the future EU regulations on the CFP, on the common organisation of the markets in fisheries and aquaculture products (CMO) or on certain measures regarding countries which authorise non-sustainable fishing with the aim of conserving fish stocks will contribute to the implementation of sustainable fisheries in ACP countries;










3.


Calls on the EU to create a favourable environment for EU private investment in sustainable fisheries operations in ACP countries, which will create decent jobs and high value added in ACP countries, while putting good governance at the heart of future fishing agreements;










4.


Is of the view that, the future CFP external dimension should promote ACP regional integration, by harmonising measures undertaken under Sustainable Fisheries Agreement (SFA), supporting regional scientific and surveillance cooperation, and increasing support for ACP countries effective participation in Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO) and for their fight against illegal, un-reported and un-regulated fishing;










5.


Welcomes the proposal to decouple EU sector support from payments for access rights in ACP waters and to define the sector support in the light of the needs and absorption capacity of partner countries. Urges the EU to support the aid absorption capacity of third countries;










6.


Believes that ACP countries involvement in regional bodies is crucial in order to enable them to exercise their rights and establish or develop access to marine resources, and particularly to highly migratory and straddling stocks, such as tuna and small pelagic resources, for their local fleets as well as fulfil their responsibilities and their commitment to the sustainable exploitation, based on appropriate fisheries development plans and to the enhancement of the contribution of the fisheries sector to food security in ACP countries;










7.


Calls for the establishment of a participative and transparent dialogue mechanism with all stakeholders to fulfil the developing countries’ priorities for the sustainable development of their fisheries sector;










8.


Calls for an evaluation of the economic, social and environmental impacts of all EU policies that affect fisheries development in the third country concerned by the fisheries agreement. Such evaluation should be made publicly available for all stakeholders so as to foster informed participation in policy dialogue in the EU and in the ACP countries concerned;










9.


Welcomes the proposal to include a transparency clause in future fishing agreements, to ensure that the cumulated fishing effort by local and all foreign fleets active in a respective EEZ is known; such a clause, together with improved data collection and research, will help in the evaluation of the level of surplus stock available: considers that there is a need for greater transparency in the operation of SFAs with regard to the publication of ex ante and ex post evaluations, which contain important data such as, for example, the value of the catches made by EU fleets in ACP waters;










10.


Insists that EU-flagged and EU-owned vessels, fishing in ACP countries waters, should be governed by an agreement stipulating the conditions under which EU operators can undertake fishing activities in the third countries concerned particularly:






—


captures by European fleets in ACP waters should be based on the existence of a surplus;










—


the EU should ensure that EU vessels only use appropriate fishing practices, methods and gear consistent with the nature and size of the fisheries resources to be exploited;










—


the EU should ensure that there are landings of at least part of the catches in ACP countries so as to promote the development of local processing industries;














11.


Calls on the EU to guarantee full transparency on the implementation of sustainable fisheries agreements with partner countries, including as regards negotiating fishing access, managing fishing activities and evaluating negotiation outcomes;










12.


Also calls for full transparency on the part of ACP-EU countries with regard to fisheries management in their waters in the framework of agreements that they conclude with partner countries; this requires concerted efforts from multiple stakeholders to ensure that key information is shared publicly, particularly with regard to local civil society and that members of Parliament have the capacity and means to use this information and hold their governments accountable for decisions and service delivery;










13.


Considers that, in the context of the CMO reform, compliance of ACP imports with future EU standards related to sustainable fishing, environmental protection, labour standards and respect for human rights should help to promote sustainable fisheries in ACP countries, and should not be used for protectionist purposes or to tilt the playing field in favour of EU vessel operators;










14.


Insists that European investment in ACP fisheries should be based on the developmental needs of ACP countries: job creation, food security, export revenue, etc. The ACP small and medium-sized fishing enterprises (SMEs), particularly small-scale fisheries, processing and exporting businesses, are effectively addressing many of these needs explicitly, and a priority for EU investments should therefore be to support SME development in the fisheries sector;










15.


Highlights that the FPAs with ACP countries must, in the medium term, encourage third countries to sustainably exploit their own resources, both for internal consumption and for export; so that the created wealth remains in these countries for their own benefit;










16.


Advocates that the fisheries agreements between EU and third countries must be preceded by an open debate that allows the public and social organisations of the various countries to participate effectively and involves the National Parliaments and the European Parliament, ensuring that the negotiations are democratic and transparent in the framework of the operation of the institutions of each country;










17.


Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this declaration to the ACP-EU Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament.







(1)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 30 May 2012 in Horsens (Denmark).

(2)  OJ C 327, 10.11.2011, p. 38.

(3)  (ACP-EU/101.111/11/fin.).

(4)  EUCO 7/1/11.

(5)  18765/11.

(6)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 30 May 2012 in Horsens (Denmark).

(7)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 30 May 2012 in Horsens (Denmark).

(8)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 30 May 2012 in Horsens (Denmark).

(9)  Adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on 30 May 2012 in Horsens (Denmark).