MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF MONDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2004

(2005/C 80/01)

(The sitting opened at 11.00)

Formal inaugural sitting

The following addressed the Assembly: Mr W.J. Deetman, Mayor of The Hague, Mr Frans Weisglas, President of the Second Chamber, Mrs Glenys Kinnock, Co-President of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Mr Ramdien Sardjoe, Co-President of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, and HRH the Prince of Orange who declared the eighth session opened.

The formal inaugural sitting was held in the presence of Mrs Yvonne Timmerman-Buck, President of the First Chamber.

(The sitting adjourned at 12.20. and resumed at 15.13)

IN THE CHAIR: Mrs KINNOCK

Co-President

Sitting of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly

The Co-President welcomed all the participants.

1.   Composition of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly

The Co-President announced that the list of members of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly, as forwarded by the authorities of the ACP States and the President of the European Parliament, would be annexed to the minutes.

2.   Accreditation of non-parliamentary representatives

The Co-President announced that the authorities of the ACP States had sent a list of non-parliamentary representatives. In accordance with Article 17(1) of the Partnership Agreement and Article 1 of the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly, she proposed that these representatives should be recorded and their names listed in an annex to the minutes.

The Joint Parliamentary Assembly agreed to this.

3.   Substitutes

The Co-President announced the following substitutes: Hybášková (for Roithová), van den Berg (for Dobolyi), Badía i Cutchet (for Pleguezuelos Aguilar), Morgantini (for Wurtz) and Czarnecki (for Allister).

4.   Documents received

The Co-President announced that the following documents had been received:

Motions for resolutions on urgent topics submitted to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly by the Bureau pursuant to Article 7(2) of the Rules of Procedure.

The Co-President informed the members of the Bureau's recommendations and asked the authors of motions for resolutions on identical subjects to agree on a compromise text.

Urgent topic 1: Situation in Darfur (Sudan)

Urgent topic 2: The damage caused by cyclones in the Caribbean

5.   Adoption of draft agenda (ACP-EU 3695/rev.2)

The Co-President announced the following deadlines:

The draft agenda was adopted as shown in these minutes.

6.   Co-President's announcements

The Co-President explained the procedure for the allocation of speaking time.

Speaker: Ribeiro e Castro.

7.   Approval of the minutes of the last sitting of the seventh session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (OJ C 120, 30.4.2004)

The minutes were approved.

8.   Report by Joel Nabuka (Fiji) and Karin Jöns — ACP-EU political dialogue (Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement) — Committee on Political Affairs

Mrs Jöns and Mr Kamuntu (Uganda), replacing Mr Nabuka (Fiji), presented the report.

Speakers: Callanan, Dawaleh (Djibouti), Carlotti, François (Saint Lucia), Polfer, Yemba (Democratic Republic of Congo), Morgantini, Keita (Mali), Gahler, Straker (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), van den Berg and Humphrey (Barbados).

Mr Theodorakis (European Commission) replied to the speakers.

Mrs Jöns and Mr Kamuntu concluded the debate.

9.   Urgent topic 1: Situation in Darfur (Sudan)

Speakers: Beda (Sudan), Hybášková, Straker (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), van den Berg, Olango (Ethiopia), Hall, Weldegiorgis (Eritrea), Schlyter, François (Saint Lucia), Morgantini, Lundula Pen'Olela (Democratic Republic of Congo), Gahler, Bawa Bwari (Nigeria), Gomes, Sithole (Mozambique), Kaczmarek, Davies (South Africa) and Theodorakis (European Commission).

IN THE CHAIR: Mr SARDJOE

Co-President

10.   Debate on the situation in Côte d'Ivoire

Speakers: Amon-Ago (Côte d'Ivoire), Mayer, Oba-Apounou (Congo), Carlotti, Idje (Benin), Morillon, Wudu (Ghana), Sjöstedt, Mounkeila (Niger), Záborská, Bawa Bwari (Nigeria), Kamotho (Kenya), Jöns, Conteh (Sierra Leone), Diallo (observer, ECOWAS Parliament) and Theodorakis (European Commission).

The Co-President reminded members that there was no resolution to wind up the debate.

(The sitting closed at 19.04)