The Chairperson

Report of Delegation to 9^th Session of African, Caribbean, Pacific-European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly, Bamako, Mali, 16-21 April 2005.

The 9^th Session of the African, Caribbean, Pacific-European Union Joint Parliamentary Assembly (ACP-EU JPA) met in Bamako, Mali from 16 to 21 April 2005. As usual, the joint plenary was preceded by meetings of the ACP and Joint Bureaus (of which South Africa is now a member), of the ACP plenary and also of the three Standing Committees – on Political Affairs, on Economic Development, Finance and Trade and on Social Affairs and the Environment. A highlight on this occasion was the launching of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly at a ceremony on April 15^th following the signing on by a little more than the requisite one third of eligible ACP parliaments. The Deputy Chairperson of the NCOP, Mrs Peggy Hollander, signed on behalf of the South African Parliament.

The delegation consisted of NCOP Deputy Chairperson, Mrs Peggy Hollander, Dr. Rob Davies and Ms Dumisile Nhlengethwa (of the ANC) and Mr Les Labuschagne (DA). We were accompanied by Ambassador Jerry Matjila and Mr Saul Pelle of the South African Embassy to the EU in Brussels, Ambassador Pandelani Mathoma of the South African Embassy to Mali, Ms Nonthato Skolo of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms Grace Constable of Parliament’s International Relations Unit and Ms Georgina Smith, personal assistant to Mrs Hollander.

The 9^th Session operated according to the established rules of procedure providing for resolutions to be tabled via the Standing Committees with the possibility of only two “urgent resolutions” being tabled independently on topics agreed by the Joint Bureau. It was agreed at the Joint Bureau meeting held in Brussels in January that the “urgent resolutions” at the 9^th session would be on “The Situation in the Sudan” and “The Situation in the African Great Lakes Region”. The Joint Bureau agreed on two other debates without resolution on “The impact of the December 2004 tsunami” and “The Situation in Togo”. The ACP plenary was informed of an invitation to include ACP parliamentarians in an ACP mission to observe the Togolese elections on April 24^th. Due to an absence of funding this invitation could not, however, be taken up.

The plenary agenda also included the customary statements by, and questions to, the EU Commission (represented by both the Development Commissioner, Louis Michel, and the Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson), the ACP Council (represented by the Minister of Foreign affairs of Cape Verde, Mr Victor Borges) and the EU Council (represented by the Luxembourg Minister for Cooperation and Humanitarian Action, Mr Jean-Louis Schiltz). In addition there was a statement followed by exchanges of views with Ms Evelyne Herfkens, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Millenium Development Goals Campaign.

As usual, there was a formal opening ceremony with speeches from the Co-Presidents, the Mayor of Bamako, Mr Moussa Traore, and the President of the National Assembly of Mali, Mr Ibrahim Keita. The President of the Republic of Mali, Mr Amadou Toumani Toure, formally declared proceedings open in a speech that noted that political development was far outpacing economic development in ACP countries and referred to the acute challenges facing Mali in the areas of cotton production, food security and the management of the Niger river among others. President Toure also explicitly commended President Thabo Mbeki for his efforts in the Ivory Coast peace process.

Launching of ACP Parliamentary Assembly and Formation of Working Group on EPAs

As indicated above, the ACP plenary concluded on April 15^th with a formal signing ceremony to launch the ACP Parliamentary Assembly. The ceremony took place in the presence of both the Prime Minister and Speaker of the National Assembly of Mali. Representatives of 27 of the 79 eligible ACP Parliaments signed the Charter of the Assembly. They included ourselves, with Mrs Hollander signing on behalf of the South African Parliament. As one third of the total was the minimum required to launch the Assembly it was declared officially launched. Its real business will, however, not begin until the time of the next JPA, at which time it is expected more ACP parliaments will have signed on. A decision taken in the ACP plenary of potential significance for the future work of the ACP Parliamentary Assembly was to establish a Working Group on the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations. Rob Davies at the request of the Co-President convened an initial meeting which brain stormed potential parameters of a work programme. A document is being prepared for presentation to the ACP Bureau.

One of the three Workshops forming part of the JPA agenda dealt with progress in EPA negotiations in three of the 6 EPA negotiating configurations- West Africa, the Pacific and Caribbean. For the moment discussions are mostly focusing on identifying development issues and addressing non-tariff barriers. However, the work programmes envisage formal Free Trade Area (FTA) negotiations beginning by September. In the exchange with Commissioner Mandelson, it became clear that while he continues to insist that these will not be conventional FTA negotiations driven by EU commercial interests, the Commission is not yet ready to commit even to positions championed by the British government (which include renunciation of all offensive interests and an upfront offer of full duty free access to the EU market). The timetable for implementation, proposals for additional resource allocations and the shape of the promised alternatives to EPAs, meanwhile, appear to remain as vague as ever.

Committee Programmes and Resolutions

Although we are full voting members of the Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade, the delegation divided itself to cover discussions in all three Committees. Mrs Hollander and Ms Nhlengethwa also attended a meeting of the Women’s Forum, which seeks to promote dialogue among women participants in the JPA.

The resolutions emerging from Committees were on “Post-conflict rehabilitation in ACP countries” (Political Affairs Committee), “Budgetisation of the European Development Fund” (Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade) and “Progress made in achieving universal primary education and gender equality in the ACP countries in the context of the Millenium Development Goals” (Social Affairs Committee). The first resolution called for flexible, coordinated programmes of support that sought to link relief, rehabilitation and development. The second resolution, which was the product of lengthy compromises between MEPs favouring including ACP development financing in the European budget and ACP countries wary of such a move, called for a joint study on the implications of budgetisation. The third resolution noted progress but also called for additional efforts to reach MDGs on education and gender equality. The next topic to be dealt with by the Economic Development, Finance and Trade Committee is on “Agricultural and Mining Commodities”. In the Committee meeting we tabled amendments seeking to strengthen references to EU Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) legislation not becoming a non-tariff barrier to developing country exports. These amendments will be discussed, together with any others tabled, at the next Committee meeting in September – see also lunch meeting on REACH below.

Resolutions on Urgent Topics, the Bamako Declaration on MDGs and other Matters

The main draft resolution tabled on the “urgent topic” of Sudan was drafted by the two participants in the joint mission agreed at the last bureau meeting – ACP Co-President Sharon Hay-Webster of Jamaica and Luisa Morgantini of the GUE/NGL group. Several of the European Parliamentary groups had tabled amendments generally strongly critical of the Government of Sudan. We were again asked by the ACP Co-President to work with Professor Ephraim Kamuntu, the delegate from Uganda, to participate in the conciliation process, which eventually resulted in the passage of a resolution supported by all sides.

The draft resolutions on the “Situation in the African Great Lakes Region” were less contentious and were composited into a single resolution that commanded widespread support. It was, however, noted in the ACP plenary that no ACP draft resolution on this important issue had been tabled.

In addition to the resolutions, the JPA also adopted by acclamation “The Bamako Declaration on the Millenium Development Goals”. This was based on a text drafted by ourselves after discussion in the Bureau in January. It essentially supported a renewed “big push” to attain the MDGs focusing on debt cancellation, fair trade and increasing resource flows and the setting of clear deadlines for the EU to meet commitments in this regard. The Co-Presidents were also mandated to find an appropriate way for the JPA to participate in parliamentary processes linked to the UN General Assembly’s review of the MDGs later this year.

In the plenary, we took the floor in the debates on the MDGs and on “exchanges of views” with the Commission and ACP council. An unexpected feature of the interaction with Commissioner Michel was strong opposition from conservative MEPs from “new” member states to the Commissioner’s meeting with President Fidel Castro of Cuba. This drew a strong response from several ACP speakers (including ourselves) in favour of continued dialogue with Cuba (which is a full ACP member) on the contribution it can make to development programmes in ACP countries, particularly in the health sector.

We had previously tabled questions to the ACP and EU councils (on the implications of the REACH legislation and on MDGs). The ACP Council’s answer to the question on the REACH indicated that the ACP was concerned, was looking into the matter and was looking to the South African embassy to the EU to provide a lead in this regard.

The Joint Bureau received a report on follow up letters sent by the Co-Presidents in response to matters raised in the Human Rights report tabled at the last meeting and other matters raised by Bureau members. This indicated no substantial reply had been received on the matters concerning human rights issues in the EU. A letter sent to the Zimbabwean Speaker on the issue of the detention of Roy Bennet, on the suggestion of MEPs, however, provoked a sharp retort from the Zimbabwean Ambassador to the effect that the Bureau had no business dealing with this matter and that Bennet was being detained in accordance with Zimbabwean law.

As usual Workshops were held on issues pertinent to the host country – “The Cotton Sector in Mali” and “Desertification and saving the River Niger”. The third workshop was on EPAs (see above). In addition, the hosts organized an excusrsion to Timbouktou on April 17^th. Mrs Hollander, Ambassador Matjila and Mr Labuschagne participated in this. Members of the delegation as usual participated in lunches with political groups associated with their political parties. These lunches, that have now become an established part of the programme, offer an opportunity for an exchange of views across the ACP-EU divide with “like minded” political groupings.

REACH Lunch Time Meeting

Given the importance of the impending EU REACH legislation, its potential impact on ACP countries, and the unique opportunity offered by the JPA to interact with a range of opinion formers in the European Parliament that will ultimately be responsible for the passage of the REACH legislation, the delegation organized a working lunch on the REACH on April 20^th. Practical arrangements were handled by the two embassies and the meeting took the form of inputs from Rob Davies and a representative of the Malian Ministry of Mines followed by inter-active discussion. Dumisile Nhlengethwa chaired the meeting, which was attended by representatives of all major parties in the European Parliament, and particularly those with a special interest in the REACH, a number of ACP parliamentarians and officials and both Co-Presidents. We made it clear that we were not opposed, in principle, to legislation designed to protect consumers and the environment against potentially harmful chemical substances, but were concerned that the potential impact in terms of creating a non-tariff barrier to ACP exports, including but not only of mineral products. We called for exemptions, simplification of procedures and assistance to ACP countries to comply. Several of the EU political groups are strongly in support of REACH and up to now have seen opposition as special pleading by chemical companies seeking to avoid raising safety standards. They acknowledge, however, that concerns from developing countries have had little impact on the debate in the EU thus far and several participants in the lunch meeting indicated a willingness to consider amendments that would accommodate at least some ACP concerns.

The next Bureau and Committee meetings have been scheduled for 12^th – 15^th September in Brussels, and the 10^th Joint Parliamentary Assembly will take place from 19^th to 24^th November. The venue for the 10^th JPA has, however, not been settled. The EU Presidency at the time will be Britain, but the Secretariat has not yet been able to secure an appropriate venue in Britain. If they do not manage to find one, the JPA will be either in Luxembourg or Strasbourg. The provisional programme for 2006 was also agreed by the Joint Bureau. Committees and the Bureau will meet in the week of January 23^rd; the 11^th JPA will be in the EU in the week of June 19^th; Committees and the Bureau will meet again in the week of 11^th September and the 12^th JPA will be in an ACP country in the week of November 20^th.