Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

2.9.98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 274/5

**MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF TUESDAY, 21 APRIL 1998**

(98/C 274/02)

IN THE CHAIR: Lord PLUMB

_Co-President_

_(The sitting opened at 9.06 a.m.)_

1. **Decision on Bureau proposals on action to be taken** 3) Code of conduct on arms exports, anti-personnel
**on individual motions for resolutions** mines, and the Ottawa process

AP/2355 PPE Wieland (code of conduct)
A. _Motions for resolutions to wind up a debate_ AP/2356 PPE Wieland (anti-personnel mines)
AP/2374 PSE Junker
AP/2378 GUE/NGL Pettinari and Miranda
a) Bougainville AP/2392 ELDR Bertens
AP/2401 UPE Baldi
AP/2347 by the Delegation to Papua New Guinea, AP/2416 ARE Castagnède
including Bougainville, and the Solomon AP/2419 Greens Aelvoet and others
Islands, on the situation in Bougainville

4) Women’s role in the popular economy in the
b) Fisheries ACP countries, and the importance of micro-credits in
development policy
AP/2334 by the Follow-up Group on Fisheries calling for support to requests for derogations AP/2357 PPE Corrie
under Protocol 1 of the Lomé IV Conven- AP/2383 ELDR Fassa and others
tion AP/2400 UPE Baldi and others
AP/2425 Greens Aelvoet and others
AP/2431 PSE Junker
c) Commodities AP/2435 Djibouti

AP/2436 by the ACP Group, on sugar
AP/2438 by the ACP Group, on rum 5) Effects of the euro on the ACP countries and the
CFA franc

AP/2359 PPE Berend
B. _Individual motions for resolutions grouped together_
AP/2384 I-EDN Souchet
_under seven subject headings_
AP/2408 UPE Aldo
AP/2410 ARE Castagnède
1) Banana COM — proposals to alter the EC import AP/2430 PSE Junker
arrangements

6) New outlook for the rule of law and democratiAP/2353 PPE Ferna´ndez Martı´n and others
zation in Africa, and conflict prevention
AP/2372 PSE Junker
AP/2376 GUE/NGL Miranda
AP/2397 UPE Aldo, AP/2370 PSE Carlotti
ARE Castagnède, AP/2377 GUE/NGL Pettinari and Miranda
I-EDN Souchet AP/2386 ELDR Bertens and others
AP/2424 Greens Telkämper AP/2390 ELDR Bertens and others, on conflict
AP/2432 ELDR Nordmann prevention
AP/2437 ACP Group AP/2402 UPE Aldo
AP/2414 ARE Castagnède
AP/2433 PPE Robles Piquer
2) Refugees and displaced persons, and humanitarian
aid
7) Situation in individual countries or regions
AP/2354 PPE Carlo Casini
AP/2373 PSE Junker and Vecchi Great Lakes region
AP/2405 UPE Andrews and others
AP/2415 ARE Castagnède AP/2360 PPE Stasi
AP/2423 Greens Aelvoet and others AP/2380 PSE Sauquillo Pérez del Arco

C 274/6 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 2.9.98

Democratic Republic of Congo Equatorial Guinea

AP/2361 PPE Stasi AP/2439 ACP Group
AP/2382 PSE Dury
AP/2388 ELDR André-Léonard
West Africa
AP/2403 UPE Caccavale

AP/2369 I-EDN Sandbæk
Congo (Brazzaville)

Southern Africa/Negotiations with South Africa
AP/2387 ELDR André-Léonard

AP/2368 PPE Schwaiger
Kenya AP/2428 PSE Kinnock

AP/2358 PPE Corrie
East Africa/IGAD
AP/2371 PSE Pons Grau

AP/2434 Djibouti
Somalia

Jamaica
AP/2362 PPE Viola
AP/2406 UPE Caccavale
AP/2391 ELDR Bertens
AP/2417 PSE Vecchi

Cuba — possibility of accession
Sudan

AP/2379 PPE Ferna´ndez Martı´n
AP/2363 PPE Schiedermeier
AP/2389 ELDR Bertens
AP/2395 ELDR Bertens
AP/2411 ARE Macartney
AP/2426 PSE Kinnock Inadmissible — not covered by any subject heading on
the list

Zambia
AP/2375 PPE Ferna´ndez Martı´n, on chambers of
AP/2364 PPE Schwaiger commerce
AP/2396 ELDR Fassa, on the Western Sahara
AP/2407 UPE Andrews
AP/2420 Greens Telkämper, on intellectual and
AP/2429 PSE Junker
cultural property

Angola The Bureau proposals on the individual motions for
resolutions were approved.
AP/2365 PPE Cunha and Ferna´ndez Martı´n

AP/2381 PSE Torres Couto
AP/2385 ELDR Nordmann 2. **Statement by Mr Jean Ping, Gabonese Minister for**
AP/2399 UPE Gira˜o Pereira **Planning and the Environment, President-in-Office**
AP/2412 ARE Castagnède **of the ACP Council**
AP/2418 GUE/NGL Miranda and Pettinari
AP/2421 Greens Telkämper and others The President of the ACP Council spoke.

Sierra Leone
3. **Statement by Mr George Foulkes, United Kingdom**
AP/2352 Somparé (Guinea) **Under-Secretary of State for International Develop-**
AP/2367 PPE Robles Piquer **ment, President-in-Office of the EU Council**
AP/2394 ELDR Bertens
AP/2404 UPE Gira˜o Pereira The President of the EU Council spoke.
AP/2409 ARE Macartney and Castagnède
AP/2422 Greens Telkämper and others
4. **Question Time**

Nigeria

_Questions to the ACP Council_
AP/2351 Somparé (Guinea)
AP/2366 PPE Maij-Weggen and Schiedermeier
AP/2393 ELDR Bertens Three questions were put to the ACP Council:
AP/2398 UPE Baldi and others
AP/2413 ARE Macartney and Castagnède - Kinnock, on technical support and the WTO ruling
AP/2427 PSE Kinnock on the EU banana regime

2.9.98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 274/7

- Kinnock, on regional sanctions against Burundi - Castagnède and Macartney, on OCT

- Kinnock,ontheMultilateralAgreementonInvestment - Schwaiger, Corrie, and Chanterie, on negotiations
(MAI) with South Africa

The President of the ACP Council replied to the - Kinnock, on the agricultural exclusion list and South
questions. Africa

                             - Aldo and Gira˜o Pereira, on the banana COM
_Questions to the EU Council_

                               - Robles Piquer, on the internationalized war in Sierra
42 questions were put to the EU Council, 3 of which Leone
were inadmissible:

                               - Mali, on the situation in Sierra Leone

- Somparé (Guinea), on human rights - Robles Piquer, on a summit of Central African Heads
of State in Equatorial Guinea

- Bertens, on support for a future international criminal
court  - Robles Piquer, on violence in Equatorial Guinea

- Bertens and André-Léonard, on the International
Tribunal for Rwanda  - Robles Piquer, on the failed _coup_ in Nigeria

                               - Caccavale, on the situation in Nigeria

- Somparé (Guinea), on conflict prevention and settlement  - Andrews, Aldo, Baldi, Caccavale, and Gira˜o Pereira,

- Mali, on solutions to conflicts in Africa and consoli- on the United Nations fact-finding mission in the
dation of fledgeling democracies Democratic Republic of Congo

- Baldi, Andrews, Caccavale, and Gira˜o Pereira, on - Caccavale, on human rights violations in the Demoanti-personnel mines cratic Republic of Congo

- Somparé (Guinea), on environmental decay and the - Robles Piquer, on executions in Kinshasa
fight against poverty

                               - Caccavale and Gira˜o Pereira, on the peace process in

- Lannoye, Aelvoet, and Telkämper, on the Multilateral Angola
Agreement on Investment

                            - Castagnède and Macartney, on Sudan

- Lannoye, Telkämper, and Aelvoet, on the euro

                           - RoblesPiquer,onrenewedviolencebytheperpetrators

- Andrews, Aldo, Baldi, and Gira˜o Pereira, on the
of Hutu genocide in the Great Lakes region
initiative on the debt of highly indebted countries

                               - Baldi, Aldo, Andrews, and Gira˜o Pereira, on a confer
- Aldo, Andrews, Baldi, and Gira˜o Pereira, on official
ence on peace and security in the Great Lakes region
development aid

- Kinnock, on the impact of subsidized food exports The Council stated that the following three questions
were inadmissible:

- Assouma, Chincoun, and Baba Moussa-Passo (Benin),
on carriage of goods by sea

                            - Telkämper, Lannoye, and Aelvoet, on the biotech
- Kinnock, on ratification of the Fourth Lomé Conven- nology patent Directive
tion

                              - Mali, on the reason for embargoes

- Chanterie and Corrie, on the brief for negotiations
with the ACP States  - Mali, on the EU, Cuba, and the Helms-Burton Act

- Chanterie and Corrie, on exceptional treatment The President of the EU Council replied to the questions.
accorded by the WTO He pointed out that the revised Fourth Convention of
Lomé resulting from the mid-term review had been

- Aelvoet, Lannoye, and Telkämper, on trade liberalratified by the fifteen European Union Member States.
ization and the Lomé negotiations
South Africa would consequently become a party to

- Aldo, Gira˜o Pereira, and Caccavale, on trade prefer- ACP-EU cooperation enjoying full rights from 1 June
ences 1998.

- Cunningham, on post-Lomé trade arrangements and
the trade-distorting effects of the CAP _Questions to the Commission_

- Aelvoet, Lannoye, and Telkämper, on protection of
intellectual property 60 questions were put to the Commission:

- Kinnock, on allocation of funds

                            - Guinea, on integration of the Central and Eastern

- Kinnock, on allocation of the EDF for basic social European countries into the EU and the consequences
services thereof

C 274/8 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 2.9.98

- Uganda, on expansion of the EU to include Eastern - Aelvoet, Lannoye, and Telkämper (V), on trade
Europe and its consequences for ACP-EU relations liberalization and the Lomé negotiations

- Chanterie and Corrie (PPE), on conflict prevention
Mr Pinheiro, Member of the Commission, replied to the

- Corrie and Chanterie (PPE), on the negotiating brief questions.

- Aelvoet, Telkämper, and Lannoye (V), on participation of civil society _(The sitting adjourned at 1 p.m. and resumed at 3.10_
_p.m.)_

- Telkämper, Aelvoet, and Lannoye (V), on decentralized cooperation
IN THE CHAIR: Mrs KINNOCK and Mr DIALLO

- Robles Piquer (PPE), on the African renaissance, as (Mali)
proposed by Mbeki and de Klerk

_Vice-Presidents_

- Swaziland, on ensuring consistency in the EU position
on agricultural support instruments

- Mali, on the future of the CFA franc and African Mr Pinheiro, Member of the Commission, replied to the
currencies following questions:

- Mali, on disbursement of EDF funds - Mali, on the use of fats other than cocoa butter in the
manufacture of chocolate

- Uganda, on making up for time lost under the Eighth
EDF - André-Léonard, Nordmann, and Fassa (ELDR), on
the Directive on chocolate

- Castagnède and Macartney (ARE), on debt

                            - Castagnède (ARE), on bananas

- Telkämper, Aelvoet, and Lannoye (V), on EU participation in the HIPC initiative

                           - Aldo and Gira˜o Pereira (UPE), on reform of the

- Castagnède and Macartney (ARE), on research and banana COM
technological development

                            - Kinnock (PSE), on bananas

- Kinnock (PSE), on mechanisms to improve technology
transfer  - Castagnède and Macartney (ARE), on the MAI

- Macartney (ARE), on the growing shortage of natural - Lannoye, Aelvoet, and Telkämper (V), on the Multiresources lateral Agreement on Investment

- Baldi and Gira˜o Pereira (UPE), on the conference on - Swaziland, on clarification of the _ad hoc_ stipulation
water and sustainable development on regional cumulation in Southern Africa

- Ferna´ndez Martı´n, Cunha, Gillis, Corrie, and Glase - Namibia, on improving ACP market access under
(PPE), on rehabilitation projects in Southern Africa post-Lomé trade arrangements

- Ferna´ndez Martı´n, Cunha, Gillis, Corrie, and Glase

                              - Lesotho, on future access to the EU market for least
(PPE), on food aid for countries in danger of starvation
developed countries under the proposed economic
partnership agreements

- Schwaiger, Corrie, and Chanterie (PPE), on industrial
development in the ACP States

                            - Cunningham (PSE), on institutional constraints on

- Maij-Weggen, Corrie, and Chanterie (PPE), on infra- the negotiation of regional economic partnership
structure in the ACP States agreements

- Robles Piquer (PPE), on population growth forecasts - Kinnock (PSE), on trading arrangements in the GSP
in the countries party to the Conventions of Lomé
As the two hours for Question Time had elapsed, the

- Uganda, on the HIV/Aids epidemic
following questions would receive written replies:

- Uganda, on communication between the EC and
individual ACP countries  - Kinnock (PSE), on protection of ACP infant industry

- Baldi, Andrews, Caccavale, and Gira˜o Pereira (UPE), - Fassa (ELDR), on fair trade based on solidarity
on mine clearance

                               - Chanterie, Corrie (PPE), on suspension of cooperation

- Mali, on the future of ACP-EU relations aid

- Chanterie and Corrie (PPE), on exceptional treatment - Corrie (PPE), on regional agreements and the suspenaccorded by the WTO sion clause

2.9.98 EN Official Journal of the European Communities C 274/9

- André-Léonard and Fassa (ELDR), on the state of the IN THE CHAIR: Mr ANDREWS
Union’s cooperation with Togo, Equatorial Guinea, _Vice-President_
and Congo
and Mr MOGAMI (Botswana)

- Schiedermeier, Schwaiger, Berend, and Glase (PPE), _Co-President_
on the situation in Sudan
5. **Working Group on the Future of ACP-EU relations**

- Sudan, on Sudan **[Chairman: Mr Agne (Senegal); Rapporteur: Mrs**
**Kinnock]**

- Schiedermeier, Schwaiger, Berend, and Glase (PPE), **— Progress report**
on the economic situation in Uganda **— Statement by Mr Pinheiro, Member of the**
**Commission**

- Castagnède, and Macartney (ARE), on OCT Mrs Kinnock, rapporteur, made a statement.

Mr Pinheiro, Member of the Commission, made a

- Castagnède, and Macartney (ARE), on small island statement on the future of ACP-EU relations.
States

IN THE CHAIR: Lord PLUMB

- Schwaiger, and Corrie (PPE), on repercussions of the _Co-President_
agreement between the EU and South Africa
and Bahamas

_Vice-President_

- Botswana, on the implications of restrictions on South
African agricultural exports for the future market
The following spoke: Rocard, the Representative of
accesstobegrantedtoSouthernAfricanACPcountries
Barbados,RoblesPiquer, theRepresentativeofEthiopia,
Vecchi, Schwaiger, the Representative of South Africa,

- Namibia, on recognizing the reality of the SACU in Wurtz, the Representative of Togo, Cot, the Representathe EU-South Africa trade negotiations tive of Mauritius, van Putten, McGowan, van Drimmelen, Approdev, Bence (Economic and Social Com
- Kinnock (PSE), on the impact of FTA with South mittee), and Lowe (Director-General, DG VIII, ComAfrica mission).

IN THE CHAIR: Bahamas

- Telkämper, Aelvoet, and Lannoye (V), on a new
approach to structural adjustment programmes in _Vice-President_
Burkina Faso and Mr McGOWAN

_Vice-President_

- Telkämper, Aelvoet, and Lannoye (V), on the human
rights situation in Ethiopia 6. **Working Group on Regional Cooperation in the**
**ACP Countries**

- Gira˜o Pereira, and Andrews (UPE), on Community

**[Chairman: Mr Wetangula (Kenya); Rapporteur:**
aid to Angola
**Mr Corrie]**

**— Progress report**

- Nordmann (ELDR), on distribution of aid to Angola
Mr Corrie, rapporteur, made a statement. The following
spoke: the Representative of Ghana, Belardotti, Berend,

- Gira˜o Pereira (UPE), on cooperation with Cape Verde
Bertens,theRepresentativeofTogo,Neyts-Uyttebroeck,
the Representative of Samoa, the Representative of

- Fassa, and Nordmann (ELDR), on restoration of the Burkina Faso, and Lowe (Director-General, DG VIII,
old library in Timbuktu Commission).

_(The sitting closed at 6.45 p.m.)_

T. D. MOGAMI and Lord PLUMB N. P. MAGANDE and M. MICHEL

_Co-Presidents_ _Co-Secretaries-General_