EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 2009 - 2014 Delegation for relations with Afghanistan D-AF_PV(2010)1201 MINUTES of the meeting of 1 December 2010, from 15.00 to 16.00 Brussels The meeting opened at 15.04 on Wednesday, 1 December 2010, with Philippe Juvin (first Vice-Chair) in the chair. 1. Adoption of draft agenda The agenda was adopted. 2. Approval of minutes of meeting of 26 October 2010 The minutes were approved unamended. 3. Chair’s announcements Vice-Chair Juvin reported the results of the Afghan general election of 18 September. The election had been marred by fraud, specifically: . 25 % of votes had been deemed fraudulent and therefore inadmissible; in addition, 24 winning candidates (including nine outgoing MPs) had been disqualified by the Independent Electoral Commission for the same reasons. The results showed a clear reduction in the number of Pashtun candidates, the traditional allies of President Karzai in the Wolesi Jirga, to the benefit of Mr Abdullah's supporters, who won almost 90 seats. Although President Karzai had accepted the results, he had asked the unsuccessful candidates to complain; shortly after, the public prosecutor's officer had charged several members of the Electoral Commission with abuse of power. PV\850588EN.doc PE453.674v01-00 EN United in diversity EN 4. Exchange of views on the report by Mr Arlacchi adopted by the Foreign Affairs Committee: 'A New Strategy for Afghanistan' The rapporteur, Mr Arlacchi, said that he was pleased with the committee's decision to adopt his report on a new EU strategy for Afghanistan on 9 November 2010. A total of 389 amendments had been considered, proving the interest in this subject. Mr Arlacchi then thanked members for their constructive suggestions, which had improved the text and contributed to its almost unanimous adoption. Mr Arlacchi said that the key message to take away was that it was time to admit the military intervention had failed. A new exit strategy therefore needed to be drawn up in collaboration with the Afghans, including the Taliban, for which there were three essential conditions: . banishing al-Qaeda from the country; . respecting the Afghan constitution; . eliminating opium cultivation. After Mr Fidanza and Mr Thien had spoken, Mr Alacchi stressed that the quality of the debate in committee had improved his report; proper emphasis was now placed on certain aspects, such as the COIN/General McChrystal strategy and the role of EUPOL and its relations with NATO. Mr Tirr, Head of Unit in DG RELEX, noted that the Commission had supported the rapporteur during the legislative drafting stage. He was particularly pleased at the way certain key themes had been dealt with (reform of the judicial system, the distinction between EUPOL and NATO). Two fundamental points, however, might warrant greater emphasis: - The issue of security, without which no progress could be made (including socio- economic progress); - If the proposals that could have a budgetary impact were to take effect, they should be considered by the European Parliament in its capacity as the EU's budgetary authority. 5. Developing health-related diplomacy with Afghanistan: the case of the hospital for mothers and children in Kabul Mr Serra, Director-General of 'Chaîne de l'Espoir', took the floor to talk about the hospital for mothers and children in Kabul. He gave some statistics on health in Afghanistan: - average life expectancy was 47 years; - there was a high infant mortality rate (one in four children did not reach the age of five); - health infrastructure was almost non-existent, especially in rural areas. The hospital for mothers and children in Kabul had been built with international private PE453.674v01-00 2/6 PV\850588EN.doc EN financing at a cost of EUR 1 million. The majority of the hospital staff were Afghan, and a project was underway to improve the hospital's gynaecology unit. Mr Serra also highlighted local training of healthcare workers. The Commission pointed out that Community financing was limited, and said that the current strategy focused on the improvement of medical infrastructure, especially where it was most needed, outside the capital. Mr Juvin highlighted the role that the EU could still play in health-related diplomacy, for example by training medical and paramedical staff, which would be relatively inexpensive but was vital for the reconstruction of the country. 6. Other business 7. Date and place of next meeting Wednesday, 26 January 2011, 15.30 – 16.30. The meeting closed at 16.03. PV\850588EN.doc 3/6 PE453.674v01-00 EN ПРИСЪСТВЕН ЛИСТ/LISTA DE ASISTENCIA/PREZENČNÍ LISTINA/DELTAGERLISTE/ ANWESENHEITSLISTE/KOHALOLIJATE NIMEKIRI/ΚΑΤΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΠΑΡΟΝΤΩΝ/RECORD OF ATTENDANCE/ LISTE DE PRÉSENCE/ELENCO DI PRESENZA/APMEKLĒJUMU REĢISTRS/DALYVIŲ SĄRAŠAS/JELENLÉTI ÍV/ REĠISTRU TA' ATTENDENZA/PRESENTIELIJST/LISTA OBECNOŚCI/LISTA DE PRESENÇAS/LISTĂ DE PREZENŢĂ/ PREZENČNÁ LISTINA/SEZNAM NAVZOČIH/LÄSNÄOLOLISTA/DELTAGARLISTA Бюро/Mesa/Předsednictvo/Formandskabet/Vorstand/Juhatus/Προεδρείο/Bureau/Ufficio di presidenza/Prezidijs/Biuras/Elnökség/ Prezydium/Birou/Predsedníctvo/Predsedstvo/Puheenjohtajisto/Presidiet (*) Philippe Juvin, Pino Arlacchi Членове/Diputados/Poslanci/Medlemmer/Mitglieder/Parlamendiliikmed/Μέλη/Members/Députés/Deputati/Deputāti/Nariai/Képviselõk/ Membri/Leden/Posłowie/Deputados/Deputaţi/Jäsenet/Ledamöter Carlo Fidanza Заместници/Suplentes/Náhradníci/Stedfortrædere/Stellvertreter/Asendusliikmed/Αναπληρωτές/Substitutes/Suppléants/Supplenti/ Aizstājēji/Pavaduojantys nariai/Póttagok/Sostituti/Plaatsvervangers/Zastępcy/Membros suplentes/Supleanţi/Náhradníci/Namestniki/ Varajäsenet/Suppleanter Alexandra Thein 187 (2) 193 (3) 46 (6) (Точка от дневния ред/Punto del orden del día/Bod pořadu jednání (OJ)/Punkt på dagsordenen/Tagesordnungspunkt/Päevakorra punkt/Ημερήσια Διάταξη Σημείο/Agenda item/Point OJ/Punto all'ordine del giorno/Darba kārtības punkts/Darbotvarkės punktas/ Napirendi pont/Punt Aġenda/Agendapunt/Punkt porządku dziennego/Ponto OD/Punct de pe ordinea de zi/Bod programu schôdze/ Točka UL/Esityslistan kohta/Föredragningslista punkt) Наблюдатели/Observadores/Pozorovatelé/Observatører/Beobachter/Vaatlejad/Παρατηρητές/Observers/Observateurs/Osservatori/ Novērotāji/Stebėtojai/Megfigyelők/Osservaturi/Waarnemers/Obserwatorzy/Observadores/Observatori/Pozorovatelia/Opazovalci/ Tarkkailijat/Observatörer Moazzam Shan, Mahmud Aslan, Anna-Malin Sandström, Ewe Cigt, Angelo Cialfi, Cécile Volaire, Carine Monfort, Wojceck Zuzmiek, Tamar Gugulashivi, Marta de la Cera, Jasmine Barahman, J. Sprackett По покана на председателя/Por invitación del presidente/Na pozvání předsedy/Efter indbydelse fra formanden/Auf Einladung des Vorsitzenden/Esimehe kutsel/Με πρόσκληση του Προέδρου/At the invitation of the Chair(wo)man/Sur l'invitation du président/ Su invito del presidente/Pēc priekšsēdētāja uzaicinājuma/Pirmininkui pakvietus/Az elnök meghívására/Fuq stedina taċ-'Chairman'/ Op uitnodiging van de voorzitter/Na zaproszenie Przewodniczącego/A convite do Presidente/La invitaţia preşedintelui/Na pozvanie predsedu/Na povabilo predsednika/Puheenjohtajan kutsusta/På ordförandens inbjudan Jean-Roch Serra (Chain de l'Espoir) PE453.674v01-00 4/6 PV\850588EN.doc EN Съвет/Consejo/Rada/Rådet/Rat/Nõukogu/Συμβούλιο/Council/Conseil/Consiglio/Padome/Taryba/Tanács/Kunsill/Raad/Conselho/ Consiliu/Svet/Neuvosto/Rådet (*) Комисия/Comisión/Komise/Kommissionen/Kommission/Euroopa Komisjon/Επιτροπή/Commission/Commissione/Komisija/Bizottság/ Kummissjoni/Commissie/Komisja/Comissão/Comisie/Komisia/Komissio/Kommissionen (*) P. Turner, D. Tir, V. Baldvin Други институции/Otras instituciones/Ostatní orgány a instituce/Andre institutioner/Andere Organe/Muud institutsioonid/ Άλλα θεσμικά όργανα/Other institutions/Autres institutions/Altre istituzioni/Citas iestādes/Kitos institucijos/Más intézmények/ Istituzzjonijiet ohra/Andere instellingen/Inne instytucje/Outras Instituições/Alte instituţii/Iné inštitúcie/Druge institucije/Muut toimielimet/Andra institutioner/organ Други участници/Otros participantes/Ostatní účastníci/Endvidere deltog/Andere Teilnehmer/Muud osalejad/Επίσης Παρόντες/Other participants/Autres participants/Altri partecipanti/Citi klātesošie/Kiti dalyviai/Más résztvevők/Parteċipanti ohra/Andere aanwezigen/ Inni uczestnicy/Outros participantes/Alţi participanţi/Iní účastníci/Drugi udeleženci/Muut osallistujat/Övriga deltagare Секретариат на политическите групи/Secretaría de los Grupos políticos/Sekretariát politických skupin/Gruppernes sekretariat/ Sekretariat der Fraktionen/Fraktsioonide sekretariaat/Γραμματεία των Πολιτικών Ομάδων/Secretariats of political groups/Secrétariat des groupes politiques/Segreteria gruppi politici/Politisko grupu sekretariāts/Frakcijų sekretoriai/Képviselőcsoportok titkársága/Segretarjat gruppi politiċi/Fractiesecretariaten/Sekretariat Grup Politycznych/Secr. dos grupos políticos/Secretariate grupuri politice/Sekretariát politických skupín/Sekretariat političnih skupin/Poliittisten ryhmien sihteeristöt/Gruppernas sekretariat PPE Anne Vahl, Rino Trombetta, Simantiraki P. S&D Brigitte Bataille ALDE ECR Verts/ALE GUE/NGL EFD NI Кабинет на председателя/Gabinete del Presidente/Kancelář předsedy/Formandens Kabinet/Kabinett des Präsidenten/Presidendi kantselei/Γραφείο Προέδρου/President's Office/Cabinet du Président/Gabinetto del Presidente/Priekšsēdētāja kabinets/Pirmininko kabinetas/Elnöki hivatal/Kabinett tal-President/Kabinet van de Voorzitter/Gabinet Przewodniczącego/Gabinete do Presidente/ Cabinet Preşedinte/Kancelária predsedu/Urad predsednika/Puhemiehen kabinetti/Talmannens