16.7.2010

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 193/1

---

MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF MONDAY, 29 MARCH 2010

(2010/C 193/01)

(The sitting opened at 11.10 a.m.)

Formal inaugural sitting

The following addressed the Assembly:

Mr Paulino Rivero, President of the Regional Government of the Canary Islands, Mr Charles Milupi, Co-President of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Mr Louis Michel, Co-President of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Mr Miguel Angel Moratinos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain.

(The sitting adjourned at 1.00 p.m. and resumed at 3.25 p.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Mr MICHEL

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, he proposed that these representatives should be recorded and their names listed in an annex to the minutes.

The Joint Parliamentary Assembly agreed to this.

The Joint Parliamentary Assembly decided that the representatives from Madagascar (Norbert-Richard) and Niger (Goukoye) present at that session would have observer status, with the right to speak when the subject concerned their country and without the right to vote.

3.   Adoption of draft agenda (AP/100.638)

The draft agenda was adopted as shown in these minutes.

4.   Approval of the minutes of the 18th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (OJ C 68, 18.3.2010)

The minutes were approved.

5.   Co-Presidents’ Announcements, including decisions taken at the Bureau meeting of 28 March 2010

The Co-President reported on the results of the Bureau meeting of 28 March 2010.

The Co-President proposed that the session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly might be held from 2 to 6 December 2010 to avoid conflicting with the EU-Africa Summit on 29 and 30 November 2010. The Assembly approved the principle of this change, which would be officially confirmed on the following Thursday, 1 April.

The Co-President announced that the deadlines for amendments and for questions related to voting methods were as follows:

—	concerning amendments to motions for resolutions included in the reports presented by the standing committees: Monday, 29 March at 6 p.m.

—	concerning amendments to motions for compromise resolutions and other urgent motions for resolutions to be put to the vote: Tuesday, 30 March at 3 p.m.

—	concerning questions related to voting methods: Wednesday, 31 March at 6 p.m. in writing.

Speakers: Leinen, Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali), Martínez Martínez, Czarnecki, Kaawa (DRC) and William (Seychelles).

6.   Statement by Mr Andris Piebalgs, Member of the Commission with responsibility for development

The Co-President welcomed the Commissioner and thanked him for his commitment to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

Commissioner Piebalgs made his statement.

7.   Question Time to the Commission

The Co-President introduced the subject.

Altogether 36 questions were put to the Commission.

The Commission had previously replied to the questions in writing and Commissioner Piebalgs gave oral replies to the supplementary questions by the following authors:

Question No 1 by Mr Goebbels on the efficiency of aid for Haiti.

Question No 3 by Ms Castex on support for health in the mid-term review of the 10th EDF.

Question No 11 by Ms Striffler (replaced by Mr Ponga) on Malaria 2010 universal coverage and health MDGs.

Question No 12 by Mr Neuser on shortage of health personnel in ACP countries.

Question No 13 by Mr Leinen on counterfeit medicines in ACP Countries.

Question No 17 by Mr Cashman (replaced by Ms Gurmai) on discrimination against sexual minorities.

Question No 18 by Ms Bearder (replaced by Mr Aylward) on MDGs for persons with disabilities.

Question No 22 by Ms Zimmer on the ACP-EU water facility.

Question No 5 by Ms Jäätteenmäki (replaced by Mr Manders) on EDF funding of agriculture and rural development in the ACP countries.

Question No 29 by Mr Christensen on the CAP and distortion of trade.

Question No 30 by Mr Guerrero Salom on the Commission’s commitments to the farming sector in the fight against climate change.

Question No 23 by Mr William (Seychelles) on sustainable management of fisheries by RFMOs.

Question No 6 by Mr Tirolien on the Regional Strategy Paper and Regional Indicative Programme 2008-2013 (10th EDF).

Question No 25 by Mr Mato Adrover (replaced by Ms Estaras Farragut) on the Commission communication of June 2009 entitled ‘Connecting Africa and Europe: working towards strengthening transport cooperation’.

Question No 32 by Ms Carvalho on strategic partnership between the EU’s outlying Atlantic regions and the neighbouring ACP countries.

Question No 33 by Mr Ponga on regional cooperation – improving the ways in which the ACP countries and the ‘outposts’ of the EU work together.

Question No 14 by Mr Martin on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) in bilateral trade agreements.

Question No 15 by Ms Sargentini on migration.

Question No 19 by Ms Gurmai on freedom of information and of communication.

Question No 24 by Ms Kamar (Kenya) on cooperation in international terrorism.

Question No 4 by Ms Hall on budgetisation of the European Development Fund.

Question No 7 by Mr Assarid Imbarcaouane (Mali) on the Vulnerability Flexibility Instrument.

Question No 26 by Mr Manders on electoral observation missions as a permanent instrument of the JPA.

Question No 34 by Mr Arif on policy coherence for development.

Question No 2 by Mr Kaczmarek on EU rapid reaction forces for natural disasters.

Question No 9 by Mr Gahler on unlawful expropriation attempts of European investors in Bamako, Mali.

Question No 10 by Mr Toga (Ethiopia) on Somalia.

Question No 16 by Ms Gomes on human rights in Cabinda.

Question No 20 by Mr Schmidt on Dawit Isaak.

Question No 21 by Mr Bundu (Sierra Leone) on the implications of Sierra Leone’s fragile state status.

Question No 27 by Mr Schnellhardt on elections in the Republic of Guinea in June 2010.

Question No 36 by Ms Rivasi on follow-up to the resolution on the situation in Madagascar.

8.   Action taken by the Commission on the resolutions adopted at the 18th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, held in Luanda (Angola)

Commissioner Piebalgs referred to the document that had been distributed detailing the follow-up by the Commission to the resolutions adopted in Luanda (Angola).

IN THE CHAIR: Mr MILUPI

Co-President

9.   Debate with the Commission - catch-the-eye

Speakers: Schmidt, Hoarau, William (Seychelles), Manirakiza (Burundi), Deerpalsing (Mauritius), Carvalho, Gomes, Durant, Tirolien, Naib (Eritrea), Sylla (Mali), Martínez Martínez, Manders and Sall (Senegal).

The Commissioner responded to the points raised by each of the Members.

10.   Regional Strategy Papers

The Co-President announced that the Joint Parliamentary Assembly would adopt draft conclusions of the Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade on Thursday.

The Committee’s Co-Chairs made a presentation on the Regional Strategy Papers, followed by the co-rapporteurs of the six Strategy Papers as follows:

—	Caribbean: Mr Jean-Marie (Saint Lucia) and Mr Martin.

—	Eastern and Southern Africa and Indian Ocean: Mr William (Seychelles) and Mr Hoarau.

—	Southern African Development Community: Mr Mwansa (Zambia) and Mr Mayer (replaced by Mr Gahler).

—	Central Africa: Mr Kaawa (DRC) and Mr Arif.

—	West Africa: Mr Tambuwal (Nigeria) and Mr Goerens (absent).

—	Pacific: Mr Vaipulu (Tonga) and Mr Engel.

Speakers: Carvalho, Czarnecki, Hamatoukour (Cameroon), Hall, Nedelcheva, Guerrero Salom and Hoarau.

The Commissioner responded to Members’ comments and questions.

11.   Country Strategy Papers

Speakers: Mporogomyi (Tanzania) and Mugambe (Uganda).

The Commissioner responded to the points raised by each of the Members.

(The sitting closed at 7.20 p.m.)

---