4.6.2013 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 158/5

MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 28 NOVEMBER 2012 (2013/C 158/02)

Contents Page

1. Statement by the Commission ...... 5

2. Debate with the Commission ...... 5

3. Question Time to the Commission ...... 5

4. Action taken by the Commission on the resolutions adopted at the 23rd session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly ...... 6

5. The importance of access to energy for sustainable economic development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals ...... 6

6. Report of the economic and social partners ...... 6

7. Summary reports from the workshops ...... 6

8. Report on the 8th Regional Meeting (Pacific Region) held in Apia (Samoa) from 18 to 20 July 2012 – report by the Co-Presidents ...... 6

9. Beyond Cotonou ...... 7

10. Urgent topic No 1: The situation in Mali ...... 7

11. The harmonious multi-cultural Surinamese society ...... 7

12. Follow up on the outcome of the Rio+20 Conference ...... 7

MINUTES OF THE SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 28 NOVEMBER 2012 (The sitting opened at 9.00 a.m.)

IN THE CHAIR: Louis MICHEL Co-President

1. Statement by the Commission Urquiza, Assarid Ag. Imbarcaouane (Mali), Komi Selom Klassou (), Jacob Oulanyah (), Laurent Ngon-Baba Klaus Rudischhauser representing Commissioner Piebalgs (Central African Republic), Adjedoue Weidou (Tchad), Milner () made a statement focusing on the Tozaka (Solomon Islands), Soubaneh Atteye Ali (Djibouti), future of EU development aid, the current negotiations of the Miguel Angel Martínez Martínez, Abdourahamane Chegou Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014-2020 and the (Niger) and Louis Michel. possible cuts on EU aid, including the EDF budget. The Commission stressed the important role that each and every Klaus Rudischhauser answered the questions raised by members country of the ACP Group of States plays in the current in the order taken by the catch-the-eye procedure. financial negotiations. Other issues of particular interest were the Commission's proposal for a "Decent life for all by 2030", the important role that the ACP-EU JPA must play in the post- 2015 development agenda and the ratification of the second 3. Question Time to the Commission revision of the Cotonou Partnership. Altogether 23 questions were put to the Commission.

The Commission had previously responded to the questions in 2. Debate with the Commission writing. Klaus Rudischhauser gave oral replies to the supple­ Speakers: John Attard-Montalto, Bobbo Hamatoukour mentary questions by the following authors: (Cameroon), Olle Schmidt, Mariya Gabriel, Gay Mitchell, Sorel Jacinthe (), Michael Gahler, Frederic Assomption Korsaga Question No 1 by Assarid Ag. Imbarcaouane (Mali) on the (), Ricardo Cortés Lastra, María Muñiz de situation of Malian refugees and displaced persons. C 158/6 EN Official Journal of the European Union 4.6.2013

Question No 2 by Derek Vaughan on South Sudan. Co-rapporteurs: Manuel Jiménez (Dominican Republic) and Horst Schnellhardt Question No 4 by Olle Schmidt on the situation in the Horn of Africa. Horst Schnellhardt and Manuel Jiménez (Dominican Republic) presented the report. Question No 6 by Gay Mitchell on Disaster risk reduction. The Commission announced that Commissioner Piebalgs has Question No 8 by Michael Cashman (replaced by David Martin) launched the idea of reallocating possible uncommitted 10th on EU support to the AU Roadmap for shared responsibility EDF funds to the Energy for All initiative. and global solidarity for AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Speakers: Boniface Yehouetome (Benin), Filip Kaczmarek, Question No 9 by Eleni Theocharous on EC support for the Norbert Neuser, Frédéric Assomption Korsaga (Burkina Faso), health sector. Catherine Bearder, Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon), Michèle Rivasi, Edit Bauer, Ole Christensen, Tadeusz Zwiefka, Sabado Question No 10 by Edit Bauer on commitments towards the Teresa Malendza (Mozambique), Komi Selom Klassou (Togo), fight against child mortality. Milner Tozaka (Solomon Islands), and Klaus Rudischhauser (European Commission). Question No 11 by Hans-Peter Mayer (replaced by Horst Schnellhardt) on water shortages. 6. Report of the economic and social partners Question No 12 by Jo Leinen (replaced by Norbert Neuser) on Energy security in ACP States. Presentation by Brenda King, Chair of the ACP Follow-up Committee Question No 14 by Françoise Castex (replaced by Patrice Tirolien) on extractive undertakings and criminal law. European Economic and Social Committee

Question No 16 by David Martin on Economic Partnership Brenda King, Chair of the ACP Follow-up Committee, European Agreements and regional integration. Economic and Social Committee, gave an update on the process aiming at designating 2015 the European Year for Development Question No 17 by Marielle de Sarnez (replaced by Catherine Cooperation and spoke on the situation of human rights in Fiji Bearder) on Sugar production in ACP countries. and on the 12th Regional Seminar with Cariforum's Economic and Social Interest Groups. Question No 18 by Horst Schnellhardt on European clothing donations in Africa. Speakers: Olle Schmidt, Michèle Rivasi and Louis Michel.

Question No 21 by Patrice Tirolien on aid to trade unions. 7. Summary reports from the workshops Question No 22 by Norbert Neuser on MDGs post 2015 - income disparity. Rapporteur Jutta Haug presented the workshop on the Port of Paramaribo. The authors of questions 3, 7 and 23 had no supplementary questions. Speakers: Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon) and Jutta Haug.

The authors of questions 5, 13, 15, 19 and 20 were not Rapporteur Netty Baldeh (Gambia) presented the workshop on present. the State Oil Company (Staatsolie).

Speakers: Michèle Rivasi, Olle Schmidt and Bobbo 4. Action taken by the Commission on the resolutions Hamatoukour. adopted at the 23rd session of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly 8. Report on the 8th Regional Meeting (Pacific Region) held in Apia (Samoa) from 18 to 20 July 2012 – report Klaus Rudischhauser referred to the document concerning the by the Co-Presidents follow-up by the Commission to the resolutions adopted by the Joint Parliamentary Assembly in Horsens (Denmark). Co-Presidents Louis Michel and Musikari Kombo made an oral report on the 8th regional meeting highlighting among others the process of regional integration and cooperation in the 5. The importance of access to energy for sustainable Pacific region, the state of play of Economic Partnership Agree­ economic development and the achievement of the ments, climate change, the attainment of the Millennium Devel­ Millennium Development Goals opment Goals (particularly access to health and education, but also gender equality and good governance, democracy and Committee on Social Affairs and the Environment human rights in the region). 4.6.2013 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 158/7

Speakers: Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon), Tom Marsters also reinforce the rebels in the North. They stressed the need (Cook Islands), Horst Schnellhardt and Louis Michel. for EU logistical support and the role of Algeria for the success of military action allowed by UN resolution 2071.

The sitting closed at 12.45 p.m. and resumed at 3.00 p.m. José Costa Pereira (EEAS) wound up the debate.

IN THE CHAIR: Musikari KOMBO Co-President 11. The harmonious multi-cultural Surinamese society 9. Beyond Cotonou Exchange of views with the authorities of Suriname

Keynote debate Soewarto Moestadja (Minister of Home Affairs of Suriname) described the harmonious multicultural Surinamese society Speakers: José Costa Pereira (EEAS), Klaus Rudischhauser stressing that the ethnic diversity of the government was the (European Commission), Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon), basis of its success. Gay Mitchell, Netty Baldeh (Gambia), Patrice Tirolien, Assarid Ag. Imbarcaoune (Mali), Niccolò Rinaldi, Hassab Elrusol Aamir (Sudan), Adjedoue Weidou (), Mariya Gabriel, Komi Selom Speakers: Soewarto Moestadja (Minister of Home Affairs of Klassou (Togo), Ricardo Cortés Lastra, Elżbieta Łukacijewska, Suriname), Bobbo Hamatoukour (Cameroon), Michael Gahler, Cristian Preda, Horst Schnellhardt and Piotr Borys. Manuel Jiménez (Dominican Republic), John Attard-Montalto, Vikens Derilus (Haiti), Catherine Bearder, Hassab Elrusol Aamir (Sudan), Fitz Jackson (Jamaica), Piotr Borys and Juan Members discussed notably the principles that should underpin Fernando López Aguilar. the future ACP-EU relations and the added value of the current partnership after 2020. Members stressed the need to strengthen its political dimension and proposed the creation Many members applauded the example of " in diversity" of a working group, in the framework of the Assembly, to achieved in Suriname and underlined that many other countries formulate proposals for a post 2020 scenario. should learn from this experience.

José Costa Pereira (EEAS) and Klaus Rudischhauser (European Soewarto Moestadja (Minister of Home Affairs of Suriname) Commission) wound up the debate. wound up the debate.

10. Urgent topic No 1: The situation in Mali 12. Follow up on the outcome of the Rio+20 Conference

Speakers: José Costa Pereira (EEAS), Bobbo Hamatoukour Debate without resolution (Cameroon), Philippe Boulland, Christophe Lutundula (Democratic Republic of Congo), Juan Fernando López Speakers: Peter Craig-Mcquaide (European Commission), Bobbo Aguilar, Kouadio Koffi Baudoua (Ivory Coast), Louis Michel, Hamatoukour (Cameroon), Ricardo Cortés Lastra, Sławomir Omar Abdi Said (Djibouti), Nicole Kiil-Nielsen, Netty Baldeh Nitras, Catherine Bearder and Michèle Rivasi. (Gambia), Assarid Ag. Imbarcaoune (Mali), Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Guelaye (Mauritania), Edit Bauer, Mohammed Muktar Ahmed (Nigeria), John Attard-Montalto, Adjedoue Members welcomed the EU support to keep intact the Weidou (Chad), Niccolò Rinaldi, Komi Selom Klassou (Togo), environment of ACP countries and stressed that climate Mariya Gabriel, Ricardo Cortés Lastra, Krzysztof Lisek, Cristian change already affects both developed and developing countries. Preda and Michèle Striffler. In this regard the joint action of the EU and the ACP states was more important than ever. Members were very concerned about the situation in the country and the lack of action on the ground as further Peter Craig-Mcquaide (European Commission) wound up the delays could worsen the humanitarian situation and could debate.

(The sitting closed at 6.20 p.m.)

Musikari KOMBO, EGH and Mohamed Ibn CHAMBAS and Louis MICHEL Luis Marco AGUIRIANO NALDA Co-Presidents Co Secretaries-General