Minutes of the sitting of Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Date: 2013-06-04
Institutions: ACP–EU Joint Assembly
Subjects: European Parliament, parliamentary debate








C_2013158EN.01000501.xml










4.6.2013   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 158/5





MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 28 NOVEMBER 2012
2013/C 158/02
Contents






1.

Statement by the Commission









2.

Debate with the Commission









3.

Question Time to the Commission









4.

Action taken by the Commission on the resolutions adopted at the 23rd session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly









5.

The importance of access to energy for sustainable economic development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals









6.

Report of the economic and social partners









7.

Summary reports from the workshops









8.

Report on the 8th Regional Meeting (Pacific Region) held in Apia (Samoa) from 18 to 20 July 2012 – report by the Co-Presidents









9.

Beyond Cotonou









10.

Urgent topic No 1: The situation in Mali









11.

The harmonious multi-cultural Surinamese society









12.

Follow up on the outcome of the Rio+20 Conference




MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 28 NOVEMBER 2012


(The sitting opened at 9.00 a.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Louis MICHEL

Co-President

1.   Statement by the Commission

Klaus Rudischhauser representing Commissioner Piebalgs (European Commission) made a statement focusing on the future of EU development aid, the current negotiations of the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014-2020 and the possible cuts on EU aid, including the EDF budget. The Commission stressed the important role that each and every country of the ACP Group of States plays in the current financial negotiations. Other issues of particular interest were the Commission's proposal for a "Decent life for all by 2030", the important role that the ACP-EU JPA must play in the post-2015 development agenda and the ratification of the second revision of the Cotonou Partnership.
2.   Debate with the Commission

Speakers: John Attard-Montalto, Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon), Olle Schmidt, Mariya Gabriel, Gay Mitchell, Sorel Jacinthe (Haiti), Michael Gahler, Frederic Assomption Korsaga (Burkina Faso), Ricardo Cortés Lastra, María Muñiz de Urquiza, Assarid Ag. Imbarcaouane (Mali), Komi Selom Klassou (Togo), Jacob Oulanyah (Uganda), Laurent Ngon-Baba (Central African Republic), Adjedoue Weidou (Tchad), Milner Tozaka (Solomon Islands), Soubaneh Atteye Ali (Djibouti), Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez, Abdourahamane Chegou (Niger) and Louis Michel.
Klaus Rudischhauser answered the questions raised by members in the order taken by the catch-the-eye procedure.
3.   Question Time to the Commission

Altogether 23 questions were put to the Commission.
The Commission had previously responded to the questions in writing. Klaus Rudischhauser gave oral replies to the supplementary questions by the following authors:






 


Question No 1 by Assarid Ag. Imbarcaouane (Mali) on the situation of Malian refugees and displaced persons.










 


Question No 2 by Derek Vaughan on South Sudan.










 


Question No 4 by Olle Schmidt on the situation in the Horn of Africa.










 


Question No 6 by Gay Mitchell on Disaster risk reduction.










 


Question No 8 by Michael Cashman (replaced by David Martin) on EU support to the AU Roadmap for shared responsibility and global solidarity for AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.










 


Question No 9 by Eleni Theocharous on EC support for the health sector.










 


Question No 10 by Edit Bauer on commitments towards the fight against child mortality.










 


Question No 11 by Hans-Peter Mayer (replaced by Horst Schnellhardt) on water shortages.










 


Question No 12 by Jo Leinen (replaced by Norbert Neuser) on Energy security in ACP States.










 


Question No 14 by Françoise Castex (replaced by Patrice Tirolien) on extractive undertakings and criminal law.










 


Question No 16 by David Martin on Economic Partnership Agreements and regional integration.










 


Question No 17 by Marielle de Sarnez (replaced by Catherine Bearder) on Sugar production in ACP countries.










 


Question No 18 by Horst Schnellhardt on European clothing donations in Africa.










 


Question No 21 by Patrice Tirolien on aid to trade unions.










 


Question No 22 by Norbert Neuser on MDGs post 2015 - income disparity.




The authors of questions 3, 7 and 23 had no supplementary questions.
The authors of questions 5, 13, 15, 19 and 20 were not present.
4.   Action taken by the Commission on the resolutions adopted at the 23rd session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly
Klaus Rudischhauser referred to the document concerning the follow-up by the Commission to the resolutions adopted by the Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Horsens (Denmark).
5.   The importance of access to energy for sustainable economic development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals

Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment
Co-rapporteurs: Manuel Jiménez (Dominican Republic) and Horst Schnellhardt
Horst Schnellhardt and Manuel Jiménez (Dominican Republic) presented the report.
The Commission announced that Commissioner Piebalgs has launched the idea of reallocating possible uncommitted 10th EDF funds to the Energy for All initiative.
Speakers: Boniface Yehouetome (Benin), Filip Kaczmarek, Norbert Neuser, Frédéric Assomption Korsaga (Burkina Faso), Catherine Bearder, Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon), Michèle Rivasi, Edit Bauer, Ole Christensen, Tadeusz Zwiefka, Sabado Teresa Malendza (Mozambique), Komi Selom Klassou (Togo), Milner Tozaka (Solomon Islands), and Klaus Rudischhauser (European Commission).
6.   Report of the economic and social partners

Presentation by Brenda King, Chair of the ACP Follow-up Committee
European Economic and Social Committee
Brenda King, Chair of the ACP Follow-up Committee, European Economic and Social Committee, gave an update on the process aiming at designating 2015 the European Year for Development Cooperation and spoke on the situation of human rights in Fiji and on the 12th Regional Seminar with Cariforum's Economic and Social Interest Groups.
Speakers: Olle Schmidt, Michèle Rivasi and Louis Michel.
7.   Summary reports from the workshops

Rapporteur Jutta Haug presented the workshop on the Port of Paramaribo.
Speakers: Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon) and Jutta Haug.
Rapporteur Netty Baldeh (Gambia) presented the workshop on the State Oil Company (Staatsolie).
Speakers: Michèle Rivasi, Olle Schmidt and Bobbo Hamatoukour.
8.   Report on the 8th Regional Meeting (Pacific Region) held in Apia (Samoa) from 18 to 20 July 2012 – report by the Co-Presidents
Co-Presidents Louis Michel and Musikari Kombo made an oral report on the 8th regional meeting highlighting among others the process of regional integration and cooperation in the Pacific region, the state of play of Economic Partnership Agreements, climate change, the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (particularly access to health and education, but also gender equality and good governance, democracy and human rights in the region).
Speakers: Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon), Tom Marsters (Cook Islands), Horst Schnellhardt and Louis Michel.

The sitting closed at 12.45 p.m. and resumed at 3.00 p.m.

IN THE CHAIR: Musikari KOMBO

Co-President

9.   Beyond Cotonou

Keynote debate
Speakers: José Costa Pereira (EEAS), Klaus Rudischhauser (European Commission), Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon), Gay Mitchell, Netty Baldeh (Gambia), Patrice Tirolien, Assarid Ag. Imbarcaoune (Mali), Niccolò Rinaldi, Hassab Elrusol Aamir (Sudan), Adjedoue Weidou (Chad), Mariya Gabriel, Komi Selom Klassou (Togo), Ricardo Cortés Lastra, Elżbieta Łukacijewska, Cristian Preda, Horst Schnellhardt and Piotr Borys.
Members discussed notably the principles that should underpin the future ACP-EU relations and the added value of the current partnership after 2020. Members stressed the need to strengthen its political dimension and proposed the creation of a working group, in the framework of the Assembly, to formulate proposals for a post 2020 scenario.
José Costa Pereira (EEAS) and Klaus Rudischhauser (European Commission) wound up the debate.
10.   Urgent topic No 1: The situation in Mali
Speakers: José Costa Pereira (EEAS), Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon), Philippe Boulland, Christophe Lutundula (Democratic Republic of Congo), Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Kouadio Koffi Baudoua (Ivory Coast), Louis Michel, Omar Abdi Said (Djibouti), Nicole Kiil-Nielsen, Netty Baldeh (Gambia), Assarid Ag. Imbarcaoune (Mali), Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Guelaye (Mauritania), Edit Bauer, Mohammed Muktar Ahmed (Nigeria), John Attard-Montalto, Adjedoue Weidou (Chad), Niccolò Rinaldi, Komi Selom Klassou (Togo), Mariya Gabriel, Ricardo Cortés Lastra, Krzysztof Lisek, Cristian Preda and Michèle Striffler.
Members were very concerned about the situation in the country and the lack of action on the ground as further delays could worsen the humanitarian situation and could also reinforce the rebels in the North. They stressed the need for EU logistical support and the role of Algeria for the success of military action allowed by UN resolution 2071.
José Costa Pereira (EEAS) wound up the debate.
11.   The harmonious multi-cultural Surinamese society

Exchange of views with the authorities of Suriname
Soewarto Moestadja (Minister of Home Affairs of Suriname) described the harmonious multicultural Surinamese society stressing that the ethnic diversity of the government was the basis of its success.
Speakers: Soewarto Moestadja (Minister of Home Affairs of Suriname), Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon), Michael Gahler, Manuel Jiménez (Dominican Republic), John Attard-Montalto, Vikens Derilus (Haiti), Catherine Bearder, Hassab Elrusol Aamir (Sudan), Fitz Jackson (Jamaica), Piotr Borys and Juan Fernando López Aguilar.
Many members applauded the example of "unity in diversity" achieved in Suriname and underlined that many other countries should learn from this experience.
Soewarto Moestadja (Minister of Home Affairs of Suriname) wound up the debate.
12.   Follow up on the outcome of the Rio+20 Conference

Debate without resolution
Speakers: Peter Craig-Mcquaide (European Commission), Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon), Ricardo Cortés Lastra, Sławomir Nitras, Catherine Bearder and Michèle Rivasi.
Members welcomed the EU support to keep intact the environment of ACP countries and stressed that climate change already affects both developed and developing countries. In this regard the joint action of the EU and the ACP states was more important than ever.
Peter Craig-Mcquaide (European Commission) wound up the debate.

(The sitting closed at 6.20 p.m.)



Musikari KOMBO, EGH and
Louis MICHEL

Co-Presidents



Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS and
Luis Marco AGUIRIANO NALDA

Co Secretaries-General