1.3.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 58/4

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MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2007

(2008/C 58/03)

(The sitting opened at 9.14 a.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Mrs KINNOCK

Co-President

1.   Substitutes

The Co-President announced the following substitutes: Attard-Montalto (for Ferreira), Berman (for Arif), Czarnecki (for Aylward), García Margallo y Marfil (for López-Istúriz White), Hutchinson (for Rosati), Klass (for Gaubert), Leinen (for Zani), Maldeikis (for Zíle), Neris (for Bullmann) and Pomés Ruiz (for Coelho).

2.   Approval of the minutes of Monday 19 November and of the morning of Tuesday morning, 20 November 2007

The minutes were approved.

3.   Report of the economic and social partners — Migration and development: opportunities and challenges

Mr Dantin, chairman of the ACP-EU follow-up committee, presented the draft report ‘Migration and development: opportunities and challenges’.

Speakers: Thwala (Swaziland), Attard-Montalto, Sall (Senegal), Ramotar (Guyana), Darbo (Chad) and Thomas (St Kitts and Nevis).

Mr Dantin replied.

4.   Report by Mrs Betty Amongi (Uganda) and Mr Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez on elections and electoral processes in ACP-EU countries (ACP-EU/100.123//07/fin.)

Mrs Amongi (Uganda) and Mr Martínez Martínez presented the report.

Speakers: Kaczmarek, Atcha (Togo), Assarid (Mali), Aubert, Ramotar (Guyana), Amon-Ago (Côte d'Ivoire), Carlotti, Kambayi-Cimbumbu (Democratic Republic of Congo), Baah (Ghana), Zimmer, Sithole (Mozambique), Wieland, Jöns, Kollie (Liberia) and Hall.

Mr Baum (European Commission) replied to the questions.

Mrs Amongi (Uganda) and Mr Martínez Martínez concluded the debate.

5.   Ratification of the revised Cotonou Agreement and possible measures for interim funding: debate (without resolution)

Mr Petit (European Commission) made a statement on behalf of the Commission.

Speakers: Carlotti, Assarid (Mali), Mafura (Lesotho), Said (Djibouti), William (Seychelles) and Sebetela (Botswana).

6.   Summary reports from the workshops

—	Mr Ould Guelaye (Mauritania), on the central role of the Gacaca courts in the reconciliation process in Rwanda

—	Mr John Bowis, on health, with particular emphasis on vaccination projects

—	Mr L. B. Sebetela (Botswana), on tourism and poverty reduction in Rwanda

Speakers: Assarid (Mali), Deerpalsing (Mauritius), Sbarbati, Hutchinson, Gahler and Carlotti.

7.   Kigali Declaration on Trade: the state of play of Economic Partnership Agreements and Doha

Speakers: Gahler, Carlotti, Bah (Mali), Lehideux, Humphrey (Barbados), Schmidt, William (Seychelles), Agnoletto, Baah (Ghana), Deva, Deerpalsing (Mauritius), Hutchinson, Ernesto (Mozambique), Amongi (Uganda), Neris, Danata (Cameroon), Mitchell, Sebetela (Botswana), Martínez Martínez, Amon-Ago (Côte d'Ivoire) and Rasmussen (Cook Islands).

Mr Petit (European Commission) replied.

(The sitting adjourned at 1.15 p.m. and resumed at 3.22 p.m.)

8.   Statement by the Hon. Misa Telefoni, Deputy Prime Minister responsible for Commerce, Industry, Labour and Tourism, (Samoa), President-in-Office of the ACP Council

Mr Telefoni made a statement on behalf of the ACP Council.

9.   Statement by Mr João Cravinho, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Portugal), President-in-Office of the EU Council

Mr Cravinho made a statement on behalf of the EU Council.

10.   Question Time to the Council

Two questions had been put to the ACP Council.

Mr Telefoni answered the following questions, the second of which was followed by a supplementary question:

Question No 2 by Mr Fernandes (for Mrs Carlotti) on the involvement of national parliaments in formulating and monitoring country strategy papers;

Question No 1 by Mr William (Seychelles) on the regional dialogue within the ACP Group.

Twenty-six questions had been put to the EU Council.

Mr Cravinho answered the following questions and supplementary questions, some of which were also addressed by Mr Telefoni:

Question No 10 by Mr Pomés Ruiz (for Mr Mitchell) on Member States and aid effectiveness;

Question No 12 by Mrs Zimmer on debt cancellation measures for ACP countries;

Question No 19 by Mr Agnoletto on TRIPS+ and EPAs;

Question No 20 by Mr William (Seychelles) on avoiding trade disruption between the EU and the ACP countries;

Question No 21 by Mr Tapsoba (Burkina Faso) on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs);

Question No 22 by Mr Martínez Martínez (for Mr Borrell Fontelles) on Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs);

Question No 23 by Mr Lehideux and question No 24 by Mrs Deerpalsing (Mauritius) on the denunciation of the Sugar Protocol by the EU;

Question No 3 by Mr Martínez Martínez on the European Union — Africa Summit, December 2007;

Question No 6 by Mr Fernandes and question No 7 by Mr Sithole (South Africa) on the EU-Africa Summit;

Question No 15 by Mr Bowis on Africa and climate change;

Question No 27 by Mr Van Hecke on Togo;

Question No 28 by Mr Cashman on the persecution of LGBT individuals in Uganda;

Question No 8 by Mrs Van Lancker on health; question No 16 by Mrs Morgantini on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights was also dealt with in her absence.

The following questions were not followed by supplementary questions:

Question No 5 by Mr Fernandes (for Mrs Carlotti) on the financing ACP-EC cooperation from January 2008;

Question No 9 by Mrs Neris on government structure;

Question No 25 by Mr Fernandes (for Mrs Gomes) on Angola;

Question No 26 by Mrs Aubert on the Democratic Republic of Congo;

Question No 4 by Mr Ciré Sall (Senegal) on developing and managing contributions by migrant workers;

Question No 14 by Mr Berman on good governance and fragile states.

The authors of questions Nos 11, 13, 16, 17 and 18 were not present.

11.   Debate with the Council

Speakers: Deerpalsing (Mauritius), William (Seychelles), Sebetela (Botswana), Telefoni (ACP Council) and Cravinho (EU Council).

12.   Question Time to the Commission

Altogether 33 questions were put to the Commission.

The Commission had replied to the questions in writing. In the absence of Mr Michel, Mr Petit gave oral replies to the supplementary questions by the following authors:

Question No 12 by Mrs Van Lancker on health, question No 11 by Mr Borrell Fontelles on health and basic education as focal sectors and question No 26 by Mrs Scheele on the Commission's spending on health and education in the 10th EDF were also dealt with in the absence of their authors;

Question No 5 by Mrs Zimmer (for Mrs Morgantini) on EU-Africa Strategy;

Question No 25 by Mrs Hall on environmental sustainability;

Question No 22 by Mrs Deerpalsing (Mauritius) on ACP/EC Sugar protocol & EPAs;

Question No 23 by Mr Lehideux on the EU termination of the Sugar Protocol;

Question No 24 by Mr Mitchell on land ownership, title and development;

Question No 29 by Mrs Aubert on DRC;

Question No 30 by Mr O. Schmidt on Dawit Isaak/Eritrea;

Question No 31 by Mr Van Hecke on Burundi;

Question No 32 by Mr Martínez Martínez on relations with Cuba.

The following questions were not followed by supplementary questions:

Question No 16 by Mrs Carlotti on the involvement of national parliaments in programming the 10th EDF;

Question No 17 by Mrs Zimmer on the parliamentary role in development financing policies in ACP countries;

Question No 1 by Mr Ciré Sall (Senegal) on ACP-EU cooperation;

Question No 6 by Mr Bowis on Africa and climate change;

Question No 7 by Mr Berman on fragile states;

Question No 8 by Mr William (Seychelles) on access of ACP private sector to EU funds;

Question No 13 by Mrs Neris on violence against women;

Question No 14 by Mrs Jöns on gender equality;

Question No 15 by Mrs Gomes on gender issues;

Question No 21 by Mr Sithole (South Africa) on transitional arrangements — EPAs;

Question No 33 by Mr Ramotar (Guyana) on EC market access offer under EPAs and sugar.

The authors of questions Nos 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 18, 19, 20, 27 and 28 were not present.

Additional oral questions were put by Assarid (Mali) and William (Seychelles).

(The sitting closed at 6.55 p.m.)

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