Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2011-11-15-Speech-2-727-000"
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"en.20111115.35.2-727-000"2
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"Madam President, Mr Piebalgs, ladies and gentlemen, the Joint Parliamentary Assembly is an important aspect of democratic cooperation with the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states. Through the regularity and quality of its work, the Assembly has succeeded in establishing itself as a key player in North-South cooperation. We want EU-ACP cooperation to be a partnership, and in the Assembly this is, in fact, the case. The parliamentarians from the ACP countries are our partners.
The Joint Parliamentary Assembly met twice in 2010. The 19th session was held in Tenerife in April, and the 20th plenary session was held in Kinshasa from 30 November to 3 December. Nine resolutions and the Declaration on the Second revision of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement were adopted. One regional meeting was also held during the year, in the Seychelles. Lastly, in 2010, the Working Group on the Working Methods of the Assembly, established in order to enhance the Assembly’s political role as well as to provide for improvements in efficiency, began its work. The Commissioner with responsibility for development, Mr Piebalgs, who is present here today, took part in the work of the Assembly. The Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Council also attended the first session, but only the ACP Council was represented in Kinshasa. The absence of the European Union Council for Question Time was acutely felt, and the Assembly agreed to communicate its regret over this matter to the High Representative, Ms Ashton, urging her to ensure that this was remedied for future sessions. I am pleased this matter has been resolved and that Ms Ashton has agreed that at the next session, which is in fact taking place in Lomé in a week’s time, the Council will be represented by Mr Stanowski.
The Assembly’s standing committees met four times: twice alongside the plenary sessions, and twice between sessions in Brussels. As you know, the committees’ main role is to draw up reports which are subsequently adopted at the plenary sessions. Moreover, the committees are responsible for following up resolutions by hearing the Commission officials with responsibility in the relevant areas. This also provides an opportunity for in-depth dialogue on the action taken on resolutions which have been adopted. The Committee on Economic Affairs, Finance and Trade was entrusted with an additional responsibility, that of scrutiny of the regional strategy papers for the different ACP regions. The Committee appointed co-rapporteurs for each regional strategy paper, the conclusions of which were adopted in the session in Tenerife.
The European Commission subjects country and regional strategy papers to parliamentary scrutiny by both the European Parliament and the ACP countries’ national parliaments. It is important for the Committee on Development and the Joint Parliamentary Assembly to monitor the situation and ensure that effective use is made of this means of parliamentary scrutiny.
The Assembly also plays a key role in monitoring the negotiations on Economic Partnership Agreements. Hearings of the head negotiators on both sides, meetings with economic and social players and interaction between European and southern parliamentarians have helped to make the process more transparent and have made it easier to take local issues into account.
In 2010, the European Commission and the ACP countries negotiated proposals for the second revision of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement. The revision provides for an enhanced role for the Joint Parliamentary Assembly in the scrutiny of other institutions as well as for the regionalisation of the ACP group being brought about by the Economic Partnership Agreement process. It is important for the Joint Parliamentary Assembly to monitor these developments extremely closely, because the future of the Assembly itself is going to depend on their results. I have tried to include these matters in my report. Thank you very much."@en1
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