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 ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Rome 11 - 15 October 2003 Rome-Today the sixth ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) ends its three day meeting in Rome, Italy. The parliamentary representatives of 77 ACP countries and 77 MEPs voted resolutions concerning the outcome of the WTO conference in Cancun and progress in negotiations on the Economic Partnership Agreements, the situation in Western Africa, children rights and the European Development Fund. Cancun and Economic Partnership Agreements The Joint Parliamentary Assembly rejected a resolution on the outcome of the WTO Ministerial Meeting in Cancun. EPP-ED co-coordinator Konrad Schwaiger said: The failure to reach agreement was due to the fact that the compromise-text was altered, in particular by the GUE and Greens, in such a way that it was in flagrant violation of resolutions accepted in European Parliament. This is why we in the end could not support the resolution. The EPP-ED Group wants fair and free trade. We will do our utmost to help our ACP partners play a strong role in trade cooperation, but it is clear that we must all be ready to make compromises in which both the position of the ACP and EU sides must be taken into account. Western Africa The JPA adopted also a resolution concerning the situation in Liberia, Côte dIvoire, Guinea-Bissau, Togo and Mauritania. EPP-ED spokesperson Philipe Morillon said: We were pessimistic at the 5th Joint Parliamentary Assembly but we are happy now to see the beginning of stabilisation in the whole area. We must support progress towards establishing peace in the region. We welcome the African Unions decision to set up a permanent peacekeeping force and the EUs offer to contribute to funding this force. Finally we agreed that the Joint Parliamentary Assembly can send observers to those countries in Western Africa where elections are to be held. The EPP-ED Group succeeded in making a resumption of EU cooperation with Togo conditional. This means that a resumption can only be made on condition that real progress be made towards democracy and after the conclusion of a successful political dialogue between the EU and Togo. Childrenss rights The Joint Parliamentary Assembly adopted the proposal made by Nino Gemelli MEP (EPP-ED, It) and prof. Ephraïm Kamuntu (Uganda) to appoint an EU Special Envoy on Children Affected by Armed conflict, such as child soldiers. The JPA also decided that an annual report on the situation concerning childrenss rights shall be drafted. In this report the JPA will look into the implementation of legislation on protecting children s rights in the ACP and EU states. European Development Fund The JPA adopted the report on the use of the European Development Fund made by Thierry Cornillet (EPP-ED, F) and David Matongo (Zambia). To date nearly 11 billion euro EDF resources are unused. A quarter of this amount has not yet been committed. The JPA wants procedures to be reformed inter alia in order to facilitate the transferral of decision-making powers to EU delegations in ACP countries. The JPA calls also for a mid-term review designed in a manner that allows it to be conducted jointly and based on precise and objective criteria. Within a year the European Commission and the ACP secretariat must make a report on the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating the EDF into the EU budget. Finally the Commission and ACP must make proposals for the rapid absorption of the current remaining balances and for speeding-up the implementation of the projects for which appropriations have been committed. Press releases:
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